The First Step
by 99Tamine
Summary: Two friends, two Keyblades, two goals: save the worlds, and find their friends. When you get exactly what you asked for, it's not at all how you'd expect. Original character/OC-insert.
1. The Dream

**Hello everyone! I know it's been a long while, but I'm back with a new account and a new version of this story. For new readers, this is an OC-insert story that follows all of the first Kingdom Hearts. There will be sequels for the separate games, but for now we're all going along with Sora and co. at a gradual pace — hopefully, I'll be updating every Saturday with one to three new chapters that cover a visit to one world. For now, though, have the narrator's Dive to the Heart!**

 **I may or may not upload the Destiny Islands chapters sooner than planned, but either way I'll see you next week with at least one new chapter. Reviews always appreciated, of course, but really thank you just for reading!**

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 **Chapter 1: The Dream**

Can you ever be sure of what's real? I mean...

How do you know what's true?

How do you know what's not _wrong?_

 _I was floating, as if carried by a strong breeze or a gentle stream. Yet, despite it all, I could feel myself drifting downwards. On and on and..._

 _Warmth. Bright light searing my eyelids red. When my eyes shot open, I was standing on the shoreline of the play island. I squinted into the bright sun, raising a hand to shield my eyes from the brilliant light. The familiar smell of saltwater filled my nose, and I looked down just in time to see the water suddenly recede._

 _Panic bloomed in my chest and my head snapped up; I was readying myself to bolt for higher ground when I saw the silver-haired figure standing out in the water._

" _Riku!" I screamed, rushing forward across the damp sand. I kept looking back and forth between the relative safety of the play island and Riku's back as I anxiously waited for the first wave of the tsunami._

 _30 feet. I moved as fast as possible, kicking up particles as I went. My shoes plunged into the water._

 _20 feet. Riku looked back over his shoulder, his features calm. I wanted to call to him again, but my chest was too tight._

 _10 feet. He turned around, reaching out a hand towards me._

 _The water rose behind him._

" _RIKU!" all but immediately he was engulfed, the panic making my heart race._

 _I didn't even have time to think before it crashed into me._

 _The force knocked the wind from my chest, throwing my down and into the ocean. Water rushed into my mouth, but I managed to clamp my mouth shut after the first mouthful. My lungs screamed, begging my mouth to open so they could rid themselves of the salty liquid._

 _I bent my knees, and the moment I felt my soles brush the sea floor I dug my heels into the sand. Through the painful force trying to drag me backward I fought, forcing myself into an upright position. Almost immediately I doubled over, making myself smaller so I wouldn't be swept away with the current._

 _I peeled my eyes open, just enough to see the blurry shape of a hand._

 _Riku._

 _Fighting against the current I urged my arm forward, the violent water threatening to snap it back the moment I showed weakness. It was hard, my feet were starting to slide backwards, but as I strained and strained soon enough my fingers came close to grazing his palm and—_

 _The second wave crashed down._

 _With a gasp my shoulders were slammed into the sand, more water replacing the air in my lungs and making it all the more difficult to squeeze my mouth shut once again. I felt myself skid, before the water made its way under me and lifted me up. All-too quickly I was tossed up into the current, forcibly tumbling and rolling back against the grit of the sand._

 _I was dizzy, thoughts scattered and lungs burning as a black haze crept over the borders of my vision. Suddenly, the force against me stopped as the water slowed._

 _I pushed myself up with my hands, slamming my feet down as hard as I could. My head broke through the water's surface, and with a deep breath I was left hacking and retching up water. By the time it was over and I was sucking air into my lungs instead, my knees nearly crumpled beneath me._

" _Hey, Kaen!" the call of my name was followed by a mix of giggles and laughter._

 _I looked up, lungs still burning. There was my sister Kairi bouncing on the balls of her feet, waving enthusiastically and beckoning me to come over. Next to her was Sora, his hands behind his head as he grinned in his goofy way and encouraged me to approach._

 _I stood up and smiled, giving a large wave in return before starting the trudge to shore._

 _They both smiled and laughed when I finally reached them._

 _Then, their expressions shifted into ones of horror and their eyes lifted to something over my shoulder._

 _I turned around, immediately spying the meteor shower. Then, upon closer inspection, I saw it: among the meteors cutting through the sky, was a person._

 _My feet slowly lifted off the ground and just as slowly I fell back, colliding with nothing as I fell through the air. Burning pieces of rock plummeted down with me, and together we came closer and closer to the ocean below._

 _I crashed into the water, and far above on the shoreline Sora and Kairi were bent over, screaming down to me with muffled, silent voices._

 _Slowly, as I continued to fall and fall, the deep blue faded into deep blackness. It was calming. Soothing, almost. It was like sleep, only..._

 _My eyes slipped shut. I embraced the near nothingness._

 _I felt my clothes shift slowly, both away from and against my skin._

 _My feet settled against a flat surface. There was a wild flutter of birds' wings that eventually faded off into the distance, then nothing, before a bright light left the insides of my eyes lighting up. I opened my eyes, and the floor beneath me wasn't a floor._

 _It was a large, circular platform that seemed to be made out of stained glass. It was mostly green in tones, with a girl with black hair as its focus. She was sleeping, with a flowing yellow dress and a blue corset._

 _I tilted my head to the side, slowly starting to step forward as I examined the design of the glass. Next to the girl's head were seven circles arranged in a circle, each one containing the face of a comedic-looking, hatted male. Close to the edge of the platform was a ring of circles, these ones with forest creatures inside._

 _I frowned, brow furrowing as I squinted at the intricate platform beneath me. Despite the complete and utter darkness as far as the eye could see, the glass seemed to be lit from underneath with an almost painfully bright light._

 _I blinked rapidly, the glow hurting my eyes. Instead I looked up, the unending darkness soothing my corneas as creepy as it was._

" _So much to do, so little time..."_

 _I whirled around, eyes searching and finding no one on the platform with me. I twisted around, and still I couldn't see anyone. More than that, I couldn't even hear the source — the voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, as if it was echoing back and forth within the shadows._

" _Take your time. Don't be afraid."_

 _I could tell it was trying to be soothing, but... what was I supposed to be afraid of?_

" _The door is still shut."_

 _My thoughts swirled. Door? Was someone locked away, trapped? Why was it shut in the first place? Should it stay shut...?_

" _Now, step forward. Can you do it?"_

 _I swallowed, feeling the sweat bead across my back. I curled and uncurled my hands, anxious. Did I want to do what it said, want to find out what would follow? Still, I found myself stepping forward. By the time I reached the center my stomach was in knots, nerves dancing._

 _Then, spaced evenly across the rim of the platform, there were three flashes of light. In their place, three pedestals rose up from the glass._

" _Power sleeps within you. If you give it form... It will give you strength."_

 _Just as it finished speaking, three more lights flashed above each pedestal. In their wake they each left an item floating gently in the air. One was a sword, another left behind a shield, and the last was a staff._

" _Choose well."_

 _I waited, but the voice stayed silent; its riddles would be the only guide I had._

 _I swallowed again, nerves leaving me ready to throw up. Slowly I turned around, examining each item as thoughts raced in and out of my head. My eyes landed on the sword._

 _A sword, a shield... offense and defense._

 _I was supposed to choose one of the three items as, what? A mere preference or...?_

 _Not paying any mind to the staff I approached the sword, reaching out and gripping it by its blue hilt. I eyed it, waiting for the voice it make its appearance once again._

" _The power of a warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?"_

 _I felt the confidence bloom in my chest. With power, with courage, I could be strong. Strong enough to stand up for myself and protect my friends._

 _I nodded, and with another flash of light the sword disappeared from within my grasp._

" _Your path is set."_

 _I nearly grinned, ready to get started. How, I didn't know. But as long as I could help my sister, Sora and Riku, keep them all safe..._

" _Now what will you give up in exchange?"_

 _My heart stopped. Eyes wide, I hurriedly looked between the staff and the shield. At first I'd thought maybe the staff was supposed to be a mid-ground, a balance between offense and defense, but now? There was no way that could be the case._

 _My hand twitched._

 _Frowning, I carefully made my way to the staff. I reached out, hesitatingly only slightly before taking it into my hand._

" _The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. You give up this power?_

 _I frowned, biting at my lip. More power meant I would be stronger, better able to fight for my friends. But if I gave up the shield..._

 _How was I supposed to protect anyone if I couldn't protect myself?_

 _Heart in my throat, I nodded again. The staff disappeared in a flash of light._

" _You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the mystic. Is this the form you choose?"_

 _With a sense of uncertainty and dread, I nodded again._

 _A deep rumble filled the air as the pedestals jerked, sinking back beneath the platform. Then, a series of cracks. At the edge of the platform, the glass was beginning to break apart into mere fragments._

 _I spun around, only to see it was breaking apart from every direction. Horrified, I realized it was falling into pieces faster and faster. The moment I moved to run, the glass beneath me shattered._

 _I fell._

 _The rush of wind pulled at my hair and clothes, the pressure causing tears to form in my eyes._

 _Then my feet collided with something hard, my knees buckling and slamming against the stained glass._

 _Pained, I slowly forced myself to stand. Already, I was examining the second platform._

 _The layout was the same as the first, with another sleeping woman among the violet shades. Her hair was blond and done up, the circles by her head depicting the white silhouette of a castle._

 _There was a flash of light in the corner of my eye, my right arm lurching slightly as weight was added. I glanced over, blinking as I saw the sword from before in my hand._

" _You've gained the power to fight."_

 _I waited, but was only met with more silence. Again with the lack of instructions._

 _I looked back down, raising the sword and testing its weight. I shifted my grip, swinging the blade and slicing through the air with ease. Silently, I measured the strength behind it and the pull of momentum with every strike._

" _All right you've got it! Use this power to protect yourself and others."_

 _My chest nearly exploded. I could protect them. I could protect my friends._

 _And I would keep them safe, no matter what._

" _There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong."_

 _With an almost squelching sound, shadows appeared across the platform. Then they actually began to seep up and away from the glass, turning into their own forms. The creatures were only a few feet tall with withered, vaguely humanoid, pitch black body. Each of their hands had three claws while their spherical heads bore two, long twisted antennae and a pair of round, glowing yellow eyes._

 _One by one they started to lunge, only for each one to be knocked away with a swipe from my sword. After only a few solid hits to each, the shadow creatures disappeared._

 _I straightened back out, resisting the urge to stretch._

" _Behind you!"_

 _Nearly shrieking I whirled around, empty hand flying toward the hilt of the sword. I twisted, slashing the shadow and making it disperse a few feet away from my face._

 _I swallowed, heart racing._

 _My feet were all but pulled downward, suddenly heavy. I looked around in a panic, seeing that the platform was being covered by wide, black pools of some substance._

 _Just like the one under me._

 _I struggled, pulling at my feet; it did nothing as I continued to sink deeper and deeper, my feet submerged. I tried to fight, to jerk my legs up and out, maybe slip out of my shoes, but all it did was make it harder for me to keep my balance._

 _I tipped back and forth, panicked. I sensed myself fall back before I felt it. My heart leaped._

 _I cried out, fighting to stay upright, but still I fell onto my back within the pool. I tried and failed to get up, a scream stopping itself before it could escape my throat. I sank deeper and deeper, the dark liquid thick and cool but at the same time thin and hot._

 _Try as I might I couldn't pull away, couldn't get out. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to do anything but wait as it slowly crept up over my face._

 _When my eyes opened again there was nothing but blackness, yet I was still laying against something. I sat up, quickly realizing I was on yet another platform of stained glass. I got to my feet._

 _This time, it was styled differently. There were three silver outlines of hearts, arranged in a triangle. Each one had a pale blue silhouette of a woman and a background made up of shades of pink that matched the rest of the glass. The area between the hearts was a light teal, each third split in half by elegant pink lines that swirled at the ends._

 _I looked up, finally taking my eyes away from the platform itself._

 _Across the platform, at the other side, was a tall door. It was pale, in a way I couldn't describe._

 _Without waiting I walked up to it, hand already in the middle of reaching out when I realized it was transparent. Still I tried to open it, only for my fingers to pass through the handle like there was only air in its place._

 _With a huff I turned around, eyes widening when a chest appeared in a sparkle of light. I rushed up to the center of the platform and flipped it open, nearly flinging my arms up in annoyance at how it was empty. I straightened out when the chest disappeared in another flash of light._

 _A large crate appeared and I scrambled back, thankful for how it hadn't crushed my feet._

 _Warily, I poked the wooden object with my sword. The crate slid back, blade leaving a mark in the soft wood. I looked down, only to find nothing underneath._

 _I grabbed the hilt with both hands, rearing my arms back and striking at the crate until its side broke open and it shattered in its entirety. The flurry of splinters and sawdust was kicked into the air, the wreckage disappearing._

 _I took a half step, only to stop when my foot met something with a soft ping. I stooped down and picked up the jar, examining it. It and its stopper was made of smooth glass, allowing insight to the green liquid within._

 _A potion._

 _Recalling the time when my foolishness had me taking a higher grade potion to heal my wounds I stood, briefly pulling my hip scarf down so I could shove the potion into my pocket. I tugged the purple fabric back up._

 _When I looked back up, the white door was now solid. I started to walk towards it, only for the doors to fling themselves open and reveal the brilliant, blinding light that had been behind its doors. I squinted, head half-turning away and hands raising to shield myself from the brightness._

 _I made my way past the light and through the door, the light slowly fading. When I lowered my arms, I found myself at the play island._

 _Around me were Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka, all of us on the bridge-like structure between the smaller of the two massive trees. They were all other kids from the island, but we weren't exactly close friends._

" _Hold on." Instead of one of them, it was the mysterious voice that spoke up. So, were we really in that darkness still...? "The door won't open just yet. First, tell me about yourself."_

 _I swallowed, waiting for it to continue and ask its questions. There was nothing. I glanced at the other kids around me. Swallowing nervously, I walked up to Selphie._

 _Her head tilted to one side curiously. "What's most important to you?"_

" _My friends," I all but blurted out, the answer painfully easy._

" _Is friendship such a big deal?" she wondered, making me bristle. I was ready to protest, to argue, only for my stomach to twist at the thought of how I was always second-best to my sister._

 _I wouldn't have made any friends if Kairi hadn't dragged me with her one day to meet Sora and Riku. Even then, I knew she was the one they preferred, the one they favored. She was sweet, cheerful; I was harsh, temperamental._

 _I swallowed, throat tight, before doing my best to ignore the whole thing as I headed over for Tidus. His eyes locked with mine._

" _What are you afraid of?"_

" _Being different." I felt my stomach drop just at the thought._

" _Being different? Is that really so scary?"_

 _I bit back a response, feeling the back of my eyes burn. Being different meant being disliked, being isolated, being alone. And I..._

 _Face hot, I hurried over to Wakka for the last question, hoping it would be something different._

" _What do you want outta life?" I paused._

 _It was undoubtedly a better question than the other two, but at the same time it was harder. Just what did I want out of life...?_

 _I knew I wanted my friends. To keep them, always have them around. To keep them safe. A thought struck me. If I wanted to keep them safe, then..._

" _To be strong," I told him, straightening out and rolling my shoulders back with pride. No matter how much you wanted to or tried, you couldn't protect anyone if you weren't strong enough; if you weren't strong enough to protect yourself._

" _To be strong, huh," he seemed nothing but uninterested. I bristled, glaring at him._

" _You want friendship." My thoughts were interrupted when the voice made its comeback. I looked up as if I could see its source, as sour as ever. "You're afraid of being different. You want to be strong. Your adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll keep through fine. The day the door will open is both far off and very near."_

 _I frowned. The door again? What was so important about it? Why was it going to be opened?_

 _A searing flash of light overtook my vision, leaving me blinking rapidly in an attempt to rid myself of the spots dancing in my vision. When it finally cleared, I realized I was in darkness, standing on another platform._

 _It was like the first two, but the sleeping woman had long hair and her hands raised to clasp a red rose. Her gown was purple but the platform as a whole was in shades of red. Green vines crawled out of the background to wrap around the patterns in the glass._

 _With a sickening sound, more of the shadow creatures appeared around me. Though there was some ducking and diving, it didn't take more than a few minutes to eliminate them all._

 _Once the last one dispersed, a beam of light came down and formed a small circle in the center of the platform. I stepped forward to stand within it, and the moment I did the beam moved. It traveled toward the edge of the platform, disappearing as it all but fell off._

 _In front of where the light had disappeared, a wide step made of multicolored glass appeared, hanging in the middle of the air. One by one more steps popped up in rapid succession, creating a long and rising trail of stained glass._

 _Carefully I climbed the steps, slowly gaining confidence with each one._

 _When I saw what had to be the next platform, my heart skipped in excitement and a grin split my face. While I'd assumed the platforms were merely floating disks, they were actually giant pillars that rose out of the endless blackness. Down the sides of the platform was more stained glass, much like the narrow windows of a church only many times longer._

 _I looked back, able to see from this angle that similar strips of stained glass went down the last platform._

 _I turned back around with renewed energy, continuing my climb up the glass steps until my feet settled on the next pillar; it had the same layout as almost all of the others._

 _The woman on this one had long brown hair, half-up half-down, and was wearing a yellow ball gown with hues that matched the rest of the platform. The circles by her head depicted a rose in a case alongside personified household items. Next to the woman was the profile of a large brown beast with horns._

 _Unable to help but smile, I continued to walk, toward the center of the platform._

" _The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes."_

 _A chill ran down my spine. I whirled around, noticing the glass steps had disappeared. More than that, my shadow was unnaturally long, stretching to the end of the platform._

 _Then, like the shadow creatures, it started to lift up and away from the glass. I edged farther and farther away from it. It took the shape of an overgrown, solid black version of me, and I walked backwards as fast and as far as I could._

" _But don't be afraid."_

 _As if to prove the voice wrong, the shadow started to morph. It grew and grew, its shoulder-length hair now a mass of twisted tentacles and its eyes glowing yellow spheres. It was muscular, stories tall, with short legs and long arms that ended in claw-like fingers. And, straight through its abdominal area, was a large heart shaped hole._

 _I spun on my heel and ran, barely lasting seconds before I had to backpedal to a stop so I wouldn't fall off the edge of the platform. Slowly, as if it would change what it would do, I turned around. Then, it hit me._

 _My gaze fell to the sword in my hand, before flickering back to the massive shadow creature._

 _I clenched my jaw and widened my stance, both hands firmly gripping the hilt of the sword until my knuckles went white._

" _But remember..." once again the voice spoke, as a mass of darkness and shadows started to swirl around the creature's hand._

 _Its arm reared back before it bent over, slamming its fist into the platform so hard it shook underneath my feet. I nearly toppled over, but instead I took deep breaths and aimed my focus toward its hand._

 _With a yell, I ran toward its fist._

 _The blade slid through the air before slicing through the creature's flesh — so sharp there was barely any resistance. Before the first strike ended I was already shifting my body to cut the creature again._

 _Instead I jerked back in surprise as a small shadow creature emerged from the darkness, others following suit. I held back a swear, swinging wildly until the smaller creatures were once again defeated. All but immediately, I went back to the hand. Maybe half a dozen deep, long gashes later the darkness around its hand dissipated and it straightened back out._

 _Then, it bent backward along with its spine._

 _I quickly ran backwards to the other side of the platform, turning back around just in time to see a writhing body of purple energy form in the middle of the heart shaped hole. I swallowed, waiting with bated breath._

 _Smaller spheres shot out from the energy, flying in my direction like missiles._

 _I dived under the first as it whizzed past my head, twisting around and contorting to dodge the second right after. I ran out of the way of a third sphere, nearly colliding head-first into one of its arms as I did so. Before I could attack I was rushing away from another sphere, toward its other arm._

 _I leaped over another sphere as I went, raising the sword above my head with both hands. I brought it down as hard as I could, cutting through dark flesh and barely dodging a sphere in the process._

 _I stumbled back, ducking and weaving around another set of spheres before going back to slash at the hand again. A sphere sped past my face and I jerked back, quickly realizing the creature was straightening back out. I ran back to gain distance from it._

 _Its fist was surrounded by the energy again, and this time when it caused the platform to shake with its heavy punch I held my stance._

 _I ran forward and brought the sword down on the hand again and again._

 _I jogged away as it stood, ready for the spheres, when suddenly there was a flash of light and I was left grasping air._

 _My sword was gone._

 _Panic poured into my veins, quickly replacing the confidence. I hurried backwards until it felt as if my shoes were filled with lead and I lurched, toppling onto my back. Struggling to catch my breath, I pushed myself upright and couldn't manage any more._

 _There was another black pool growing beneath me._

 _Tears burned my eyes again, and I yanked at every muscle possible in an attempt to escape. Still, I just sank deeper and deeper._

" _You hold the mightiest weapon of all."_

 _The thick-yet-thin and cold-but-hot liquid quickly reached my shoulders, and I wanted to shriek as its tingling, burning sensation spread across more and more of my body._

" _So don't forget: The door will open."_

 _The black substance reached my nose, and I clenched my eyes shut tight as it rose higher and higher._

 _Before it passed over my eyes and the rest of my head, I thought back to one of the first things the voice had said and couldn't help but wonder..._

 _How could I not be afraid?_


	2. The Raft

**Hello again! I'm already a ways into the next world visit, so have the Destiny Islands chapters sooner rather than later. You're getting your first proper idea of what the narrator is like, in this chapter and the next. They're both a bit short, relatively, but I figured they'd be better split up into two chapters instead of clumped together in one longer chapter.**

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 **Chapter 2: The Raft**

" _ **HEY, KAEN!**_ "

My eyes shot open as I reflexively jumped away from the shouting in my ear, realizing too late that I had fallen asleep on the bench-like horizontal paopu tree. A high-pitched shriek of fear and surprise tore out of my throat despite my pride —and my _lack_ of girlishness— as the water appeared beneath me. For a moment time seemed to slow down and I was left staring into the approaching sea, memories of the dream flashing in and out of my mind.

 _Riku and the tsunami..._

 _Falling falling falling..._

 _Darkness and stained glass..._

 _A voice, living shadows..._

I plummeted into the water with a rush of cold and a dull splash, limbs flailing. As fast as I could I collected myself and swam up, head breaking through the surface. I spat out the salty seawater, shaking my head like a dog and doing nothing for how my pinkish-red hair was sticking to my neck and the front of my face.

Riku's laughter reached my ears from his place atop the steep mini-island, and my jaw clenched tight.

" _DAMMIT, RIKU!_ " I screamed again, this time up at him. I pushed my hair back as his laughter only grew louder. I glared at the island, as if my eyes could pierce him through the earth.

I ground my teeth, fuming. His laughter rattled around in my head, and it wasn't a hard decision to avoid His Silver-Headed Jackass by opting out from taking the easier option and climbing up the ladder at the back of the side island.

Instead I half-swam half-stomped to shore, eyes only hardening as I saw the undoubtedly amused Sora and Kairi already at the beach. My feet squished inside my white shoes with every step, the footwear soaked through-and-through from Riku's idea of a joke.

With a gross squelch I stepped onto the dry sand, toes wiggling uncomfortably as the two stared at me. Clearly, they were struggling to keep their faces straight. I, meanwhile, struggled to keep myself from glaring at them both.

"So, Kaen," Sora said, standing up and absently brushing sand from his silly red romper. He brightened, grin coming to his face as he stepped back — half-next to and half-behind Kairi. My stomach twisted. "Do _you_ remember what your hometown was like?"

My mouth twitched and I stifled a groan, dropping my face into my hand.

Nine years ago Kairi and I had arrived at Destiny Islands, all without warning. One day they were without us, and the next we were just... there. The adults had fretted, asked us anything and everything, especially about our parents. In hindsight it was to be expected, what with how we were two little girls who just showed up out of nowhere.

Thing was, though, that we couldn't remember anything about our pasts. We knew our names, each other's names, and how we were close, but otherwise? Nothing. We were as lost inwardly as we were literally.

The only thing we'd had was each other, holding hands and refusing to let go whenever someone tried to usher one of us away. Luckily the mayor was open to taking in both of us, and after some adjustment we'd only ever known him as our dad.

Then, not long after we'd come to the islands, we'd met Sora and Riku; our pairs of friendships became one group of four best-friends.

Still, as fine as everything had turned out, it didn't answer all of the questions. How did we know each other? How had we gotten to Destiny Islands? Where were our birth parents?

More than that, where had we come from?

The main island was plenty large, especially when combined with the smaller islands, but not so much that it was hard to find someone who went missing. Simply put, _no one_ knew us or had even glimpsed us before our arrival.

We had to have come from somewhere else, but no one _knew_ of anywhere else.

That left only one option left.

"Do you ever—" Sora continued his usual array of questions.

"Want to go back?" I cut in dryly, knowing what he'd ask. He nodded energetically, raising his fists like a giddy child. I shook my head. "No. My home is here, and that's all that matters."

Kairi's head tipped to the side, and I could sense the question about to come.

"Is that why you weren't working on the raft?" a familiar voice interrupted before she could even start, and I whipped my head around to glare at Riku. He was carrying a log over his shoulder, as smug as ever as he approached.

He tossed his log over to Sora, who fell back onto his rear in his fumbling attempt to try and catch it. Unsurprisingly he failed, and the log fell to the ground.

"What about you?" he eyed Kairi. "You're just as lazy as they are!"

I heard her giggle, but I was too preoccupied burning holes into his head to look at her. "So you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together."

Huffing, I turned my head back around to give her a peeved look. Her smile only widened.

Riku dropped down to sit next to Sora, and I was ready to do the same before I remembered his little idea of a practical joke. I glared at him again, still damp and dripping, and resisted the urge to smack him upside the head.

I could swear he smirked.

"I'll race you!" Kairi cheered suddenly, pointing.

"Oh, for the love of—" I nearly groaned, covering my face with my hand again.

"Huh?" Sora looked up at her, her words clearly having yet to fully register in his head.

"What, are you kidding?" I was ready to agree with Riku and his exasperation, only to remember what he'd done. I bristled, souring all over again.

"Ready?" Kairi called, and I nearly swore as she raised her hands to her mouth. "Go!"

The boys looked at each other, both unmoving, before they both jumped to their feet and bolted. I sputtered, even if I was used to their competitiveness, watching them all go as Kairi followed after them at a light jog.

I ran past her, grabbing her wrist and moving even faster with every step.

"He-Hey!" Kairi laughed as she stumbled after me, struggling to keep up. "Slow down!"

"You're the one who wanted to race, you wimp!" I reminded her, grinning when I Sora slump in defeat. Then it sank in just who had won, and I scowled.

"Tomboy!" she quipped back, giggling.

I rolled my eyes pointedly, dropping her wrist and slowing to a stop when we reached the others.

"You know you love me," I cooed with a grin, reaching out to ruffle her dark red hair.

Kairi swatted my hands away in mock-annoyance, smoothing out the short strands. By now, I was sure it was more out of habit than anything else. With how it barely reached her jaw in the front, her hair was pretty impossible to mess up in the first place.

"You two done yet?" Rike crossed his arms, leaning back against the door to the cove side of the play island.

I scoffed, struggling to keep my face neutral when I quickly realized he was being jealous. _Again_. I didn't get why he let himself get so worked up over his crush on Kairi when he didn't have the courage to tell her.

Sora hadn't, either, but with how he was I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know he liked her.

Kairi giggled, unabashed and seemingly oblivious to the fuss caused over her. She shrugged. "I guess we are."

Riku made a point of rolling his eyes, and I was certain it had more to do with me than my sister. I frowned, trying hard not to glare at him.

"Whatever," he said, giving a flippant wave over his shoulder as he stalked off. I couldn't help but glare at his retreating back. "You guys can work on getting supplies. I'm building the raft."

I bit back a growl, ready and willing to fight him. Unfortunately, His Royal Jackass seemed to be focused on getting the raft done and little else.

"So," fortunately Kairi spoke, snapping me from my thoughts. I looked over to see her with her focus on Sora, her head tipping to the side. "Can you gather the rest of the supplies?"

However, he seemed about as deep in thought as I'd just been; he didn't respond.

"Sora, are you listening to me?"

He nearly jumped as he heard his name, hurrying to nod at her. I held back a snort.

"Okay, here's what you need to go find — two logs, a large cloth, and some rope. Bring everything back here," she ordered, pointing at the ground by our feet. "If you need help, just ask. I'm counting on you!"

He nodded again, grinning. "Got it!"

With that he hurried off, waving over his shoulder.

I sighed, dropping down next to Kairi in front of the door and leaning against the frame.

"...So."

"So?" I dragged my gaze up to meet Kairi's, my eyebrow rising in a silent question.

"You okay?" her eyes pierced mine, and once again I was reminded of how she wasn't the lost little girl I kept remembering her as.

"I'm fine," I wasn't sure how to word it, or if there even was a way to describe the reason I had knots in my stomach. I looked away, frowning. "I just..."

"Just what?" in my peripheral I saw her kneel down to look at me. I pulled my knees up to my chest. I shook my head. "...It's nothing."

"You sure?" she didn't seem so sure; she really was sharper than she let on.

"Yeah," I forced the lie out, putting a smile on my face. I nodded reassuringly at her.

"If you say so," she stood back up, and we continued the wait for Sora in silence. Meanwhile, I felt ready to be sick.

What was I supposed to say, that I wished people liked me the same way they liked her? That I wished she wasn't liked as much as she was?

I couldn't do that to her.

* * *

" _Pssst."_

 _I stared at the shadow-covered wall for just another moment, enjoying the silence while it lasted. Then I finally turned my head, squinting into the darkness so I could focus on Kairi's face from where she was looking down at me from the top bunk. The wooden frame was digging into her flesh awkwardly, and with the angle she was at her necklace nearly slipped off of her head._

" _Can I talk to you?" she whispered, and I was too tired and too focused on sleep to ask why she wanted to talk now of all times. I blinked slowly at her, realized I hadn't given her an answer, and managed a nod._

 _She smiled only slightly and I shuffled back against the wall, giving her plenty of room. She scrambled down, slipping beneath my blankets and nearly slamming our heads together as she settled into a stop._

 _I stifled a yawn, watching her face with lidded eyes and forcing myself to focus on her features instead of giving into temptation and letting myself drift back off._

" _Hey, Kaen..." Kairi tucked her arm beneath her head, peering at me with curious eyes._

 _She seemed sad, almost._

 _I frowned, shifting myself upright. Screw sleep, I decided; something was bothering my sister. Still, the idea of laying back down remained beyond appealing._

" _What, Kairi?" it was so odd, seeing someone usually so cheery with such a somber expression. I wanted to poke her cheek. Maybe to make sure it was real, or maybe to make her cheer up._

" _...Do you think it'll work?" her voice was tight, and I saw how shiny her eyes were. My heart clenched. "The raft?"_

 _The raft._

 _As of recently Riku had become especially interested in what was out there and what worlds existed, to the point our mutual interest in the subject had finally come to something. We lived on islands, which left only one way to leave and get to anywhere else: by sea._

 _We'd planned out the whole thing —building the raft, the provisions we were going to take— a few weeks ago, and now that everything was concrete we were about to actually start working on it. First would be gathering the wood to put together the raft itself, and then..._

 _Soon enough, we would be heading off. Off to the sea, and hopefully the other worlds that it would lead us to._

" _Of course it'll work," I smiled, exuding a level of confidence I didn't quite have. I was sure everything would work out in the end, but with our initial plan? I had no idea how far we'd get or just how much trouble we'd find ourselves in._

 _As if to prove it, I reached out and briefly pinched her nose shut. She cracked a smile, but only for a moment. I nearly squeezed her nose again, just to see her smile once more._

" _Not— Not the raft. I mean," she took a shaking breath, fiddling with her white-bead pendant. She looked away from me, and I saw her mouth quiver. My heart broke in time with her voice. "What if we get separated? What if we don't_ remember? _"_

 _Oh._

Oh.

 _Of course. When we'd arrived at Destiny Islands from wherever we'd been before, we hadn't remembered anything about our lives. Why would it be any different this time? Still, she was forgetting something._

 _I sucked in a deep breath and flicked her forehead, scowling._

" _Stop it," I said, stern. "Whether or not we get to another world, we'll be fine. We'll be_ together. _We have been since we were little, and chances are we always will be. They're our best-friends; you're my sister. Do you really think any of us will forget? That any of us will be able to?"_

 _Gently, I poked her forehead before continuing. I offered her a smile. "I mean,_ we _didn't forget each other, did we?"_

" _No," Kairi's lips twitched, and after a moment of soothing silence she gave up and let herself smile. "Gimme a second, okay?"_

 _She rolled out of bed, scrambling back up onto her bunk. Before I could question her or what she was doing she was coming back down, plopping on top of the covers._

" _Here!" she stuck her hand out toward me. I blinked, grabbing whatever it was she was offering me before giving her a look._

 _It was the purple choker I always wore, much like the black one she had. I eyed it, nearly missing the faint glint of light. I lifted it up between my fingertips, a string dropping down from either side of the clasp from the weight of the bead on it._

 _Like her necklace, I quickly realized. Only—_

" _Why's it pink?" I blurted out, unable to help but wonder. Hers was white, whereas mine was a pale, reddish-pink color. It was kind of like a rose, really._

" _Why not?" she giggled, grinning as she flicked at my bangs. I pouted at her, sticking my tongue out pointedly. "Besides, this way you'll always have something to remind you of me."_

 _I bristled._

" _Kairi," I told her icily. "I told you that—"_

" _I know, I know," she tittered, holding her hands up in a motion of surrender. She grinned. "But it can't hurt, right? Besides, now we'll match!"_

* * *

I fiddled with my pendant as we headed on our way through the cove, toward the now-finished raft. Kairi was humming underneath her breath, and when she caught me focusing on her she grinned back at me.

"So, you like it?" she beamed, bouncing on her toes with her excitement.

I nearly rolled my eyes, yet I couldn't help but smile. Just how many times had she asked that question since giving me my pendant?

"Yes, Kairi, I like it," I told her for the umpteenth time. I jerked a thumb over my shoulder to point backwards. "Now, what do you think is..."

I trailed off, both of us looking back as the boys' voices reached our ears. I sighed, giving Kairi a look. She merely laughed, rushing to the edge of the broken bridge we were on to call back. I followed her, peering past her to see Sora and Riku facing each other.

"You guys at it again?" Kairi was as amused as ever at their frequent fights, and while I shared the sentiment at times for the most part the whole thing was frustrating; I missed when we spent less time butting heads and more time enjoying each others' company. I went on ahead of her, jumping across the chunks of broken bridge until I was back on solid ground. "All right, we'll judge. The usual rules apply: Take any route you want... First one to tag the tree and make it back here wins."

"Yeah, yeah," I waved my hand, heading over to the door to the seashore and propping myself against the frame. I crossed my arms. "I'm staying out of it this time, alright? I don't feel like feeding you my dust."

"Kaen..." Kairi laughed softly, shaking her head at me. I shrugged, purposely avoiding her gaze as she made her way over.

"Oh, please. As if you've ever been able to do that before!" Riku laughed himself, earning him yet another sharp glare from me. He may have been the best fighter out of all of us, but that didn't mean he was the best at _everything._

I raised my hand, ready, only for Kairi to slap it back down. She eyed me, and I only shrugged again.

"Well, get on with it!" I waved my hand at them all, borderline whining.

"If I win, I'm captain!" Sora easily decided the conditions if he won. "And if you win..."

"I get to share the paopu with Kairi," Riku finished. I wasn't sure whether to gag or scoff or both. Instead I sneered, glaring even harder at him as anger pooled in my gut.

Everyone here knew about the paopu fruit, the half-legend half-belief that sharing one with someone would keep your destinies intertwined for forever. Of course Riku wanted to share one with Kairi; shewas the one he liked, and she was the target of both his and Sora's affections. I understood, I really did, but—

"Okay," Kairi cut off both Sora's open confusion and my inner rage when she spoke, raising her arm into the air. I had to wonder whether the timing was intentional or not. "On my count: Three... Two... One... GO!"

They took off, heading straight for the first chunk of the bridge. Riku literally leaped ahead, whereas Sora continued closer on to the edge. I looked away, dreading the splash long before I heard it as the last boards crumpled beneath his feet and sent him into the water.

Sora scrambled to the land ahead, but it was too late; Riku already had too big of a lead on him to make up. Still, Sora was as persistent as he always was.

"Doesn't it bother you?" I found myself asking, all but blurting it out. Kairi turned to look at me, her head tipping to the side.

"Doesn't what bother me?" she wondered back, blinking curiously.

I was left without a clue as to what to say. Did she really not know? Or did she just want to make sure she knew what I was talking about? I wasn't sure which one I'd prefer.

I shook my head, frowning. "Never mind. It's—"

"'Nothing'?" Kairi butt in, glaring. I jumped, staring at her. She leaned in, features hard and hands on her hips. "That's what you said last time!"

I sputtered, at a loss. I knew she was right, but had she really noticed? I'd known for a long time that she was more attentive and intuitive than most people thought, but...

I looked away, rubbing at the back of my neck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her eyes narrow, and I braced myself for at least a good talking-to when she opened her mouth.

Then, Riku skidded to a stop in front of us, smirking. He straightened out without a word, laughing quietly. I gave him a look, thankful for the interruption but a bit peeved that he'd won. I liked him fine, he didn't annoy me in the ways Sora often would, but as of late all Riku seemed to do was rub me the wrong way.

Maybe it was just me, but...

Panting and still a bit soaked from his previous dunk, Sora finally made his way back. When he saw Riku had, unsurprisingly, beat him, his shoulders sagged.

"Man..."

"Alright," Riku's fist settled on his hip. "We're naming the raft Highwind. I'll get started on the supplies. See you later."

I soured, lips pressing into a line. Riku could be such a—

"Come on, Sora!" Kairi grabbed me by the wrist more firmly than she needed to, leading the way back over the bridge and towards the shore. "Remember what you're getting?"

"Uh..." I didn't even have to look to see the awkward, lost look on his face.

Kairi laughed. "Don't worry, you'll be able to find everything here! Ready, Kaen?"

"What?" I spluttered, staring at her and shrinking beneath her gaze when she looked back.

"Don't 'what' me! You've got to help, too, you know."

I nearly whined.

"Yeah, Kaen! Help out!" I glared back at Sora, the look only intensifying when I saw the expression on his face. He didn't even flinch.

"Oh, shut u—" a hand cuffed me upside the head. I barely kept myself from pouting, turning back around with a grumble. "...Sorry..."

Kairi beamed, finally letting me go. She dropped down, sitting against the mast of the raft.

"We're collecting provisions for our trip today! Sora, you're looking for..." she counted off on her fingers. "Three mushrooms, three fish, and filling this up with drinking water." She tossed the large bottle next to her up at Sora. Her focus returned to me. "Kaen, you're getting one seagull egg and two coconuts. Bring everything back here. If either of you need help, just ask."

Sora nodded and kicked off. I waited for his form to retreat properly before giving my sister a look, smirking. I wagged my finger at her. "What, are you playing favorites?"

After all he had to get, what, twice as much as me? And it wasn't as if this would be the first time she would have gone easy on me simply because.

She grinned, proud. "No, I just figured you got enough of the water yesterday!"

I wondered if I could get away with throwing the bad coconuts at her.


	3. The Storm

**Hope everyone's enjoying the ride so far, and more than that thank you for reading! I'll see you all on Saturday with the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Storm**

Thunder rumbled in the distance. I ignored it, instead burying my face deeper into my pillow. Meanwhile Kairi all but flew down from her bunk, and I jumped. I propped myself up to eye her curiously, wondering why in the world she was throwing open the dresser drawers.

"Kairi, what are you—" instead of a proper answer I was cut off by her throwing my usual outfit on top of me. I frowned.

"The raft!" she told me in a panic, shoving her shoes back onto her feet.

My eyes widened and I swore, throwing myself out of bed and scrambling to yank off my pajamas. By the time I was zipping up my over-shirt Kairi had already darted out of our room in a hurry.

I bolted after her.

The cool night air whipped at her skin, and we were in nothing but an absolute rush as we ran down the path out of town and toward the beach. Kairi, to save the raft; me, to save Kairi.

It was nothing but absolutely reckless to go out in this storm, to go out to sea in any storm, but I knew there would be no convincing Kairi to stay behind and let the weather do whatever it may to the raft.

I managed to dive into our boat only moments after Kairi, grabbing the paddles and rowing as fast and as hard as I could. After all, the sooner we could make sure the raft was safe, the sooner we ourselves could return to safety.

* * *

The moment we stepped onto the dock, I was grabbing her arm.

"Kairi!" I shouted over the noise of the storm. "We have to head back!"

It was nearly pitch black, we could hardly see, but far more unnerving than that...

Hovering high above the play island, looming over even the tallest of trees and standing out with its glowing core, was what seemed to be an orb of shadows.

It made me think of my dream, and the energy the large shadow creature had gathered into spheres. Only the sphere hovering above us was many, _many_ times larger and all the more ominous. It made my skin crawl.

The worst part, though, was the fact Kairi was here with me. I was fine getting hurt, I'd been hurt plenty of times, but _Kairi—_

"No!" she tore herself out of my grasp, glaring daggers at me in defiance. "We need to get the raft!

" _Screw the raft!_ " I shouted, gripping her by the shoulders. "I have to keep you safe!"

Kairi jerked backwards, ripping my hands off, and shoved me back. "Let me take care of myself!"

I was thrown back by the surprising amount of force, stumbling. My feat caught on each other and I fell back, crashing back down into our boat. I groaned, thoughts swimming as my head throbbed. Her apology didn't even register in my mind.

I sat up, standing up despite the turbulent waters and stepping back onto the dock.

My sister was gone.

"Kairi!?" I kicked off, heart pounding madly as I rushed across the island. My gaze swept around, searching wildly and finding nothing beyond the little yellow lights scattered about.

Wait.

I skidded to a stop, stomach dropping as pairs of the lights approached. I felt sick. As they came closer they became even clearer, their scrawny forms becoming apparent.

The shadow creatures from my dream.

They were here.

" _Kairi?!_ " I screamed, fear for the both of us bubbling up in my chest. I knew I could fight, even without a weapon, but my sister?

The first creature lunged at me.

I ran, cursing how Kairi couldn't be my very first priority with these things around.

Another pair of yellow orbs appeared in front of me.

I dropped to the ground, barely managing to dodge its claws. I looked back; more of the things were catching up. With a shout I kicked the shadow creature away, rolling back onto my feet and continuing my sprint through the darkness.

My eyes landed on the shack.

I ran in and slammed the door shut behind me, panting. I pressed back against the wall, waiting for more lights to appear and more shadows to move within the small room.

None of them did.

Slowly, I sank to the floor. My eyes burned and my chest was tight it was hard to breathe so hard to breathe where was my sister _where was Kairi—_

The door opened.

I jumped back, blood roaring in my ears as I stared at the opening with dread. My muscles tensed; I readied myself to run up the stairs before whatever number of creatures there were could catch me.

The door swung shut with a soft click. I swallowed hard.

"Kaen?"

"Sora?!" instead of screaming in fear I found myself somewhat composed, if still unnerved.

He came further inside, his eyes searching mine. At his side, I could make out the shadowy shape of his wooden sword. Inwardly, I scolded myself for my own lack of weaponry.

"Wait a minute. If _you're_ here," Sora spoke slowly, the gears in his head turning. He rose a finger to point at me, an expression of realization coming to his face. "Then where's Kairi?"

" _I don't know!_ " I shouted, barely keeping myself from shoving him in my frustration. He was taken aback, but I didn't care. I threw my fists down at my sides, trying hard not to cry. "She... She ran off on me!"

"Well, then we just gotta find her," he reasoned, smiling despite the situation. I wasn't sure whether to be angry or thankful for his usual optimism. "I mean, she could be with Riku, right?"

"Riku?" had he come with Sora? Had they then split up, not knowing what waited for them? Or had he arrived before me and Kairi, and I just hadn't noticed?

Sora nodded, sure. "Yeah! I saw his boat when I came here."

I struggled for words, nodding along with him as a spark of hope dared to enter my mind. "Yeah..."

"Come on!" he rushed past me and stormed up the stairs of the shack. Faltering, I made my way up after him.

When we made our way back outside, no creatures met us. Instead, there was nothing but the bridge that led to the side-island. On it, there was a flash of silver hair.

My heart nearly burst out from my chest.

We ran ahead, my eyes desperately scanning for any trace of someone else. My heart sank further with every passing moment.

"Where's Kairi? We thought she was with you!" Sora sounded about as helpless as I felt.

"The door has opened..." I almost didn't hear Riku with the ongoing storm, and a part of me wished I hadn't.

My blood ran cold. First that dream with these creatures, and now Riku bringing up the door? For some reason, it left me feeling ill.

"What?" unknowingly, Sora voiced the question I had on my mind.

My heart was raging inside my chest. My legs felt weak. All I could do was stare at their exchanges, unable to speak.

"The door has opened, Sora! Kaen!" he finally turned to face us, passionate. "Now we can go to the outside world!"

No. No. This couldn't be what that voice was talking about, could it? This darkness and these creatures everywhere and—

"What are you talking about?" Sora was utterly clueless as to just what Riku was talking about. I wasn't sure whether his confusion left me grateful or envious. "We've gotta find Kairi!"

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku snapped, making my stomach twist. No. She couldn't. Not if all of this was just the beginning. "Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!" he reached his hand out toward us, silently asking for us to join him.

"Stop it..." I barely managed to get the words out, and when I did they were a shaking mess.

"Riku..."

A pool of darkness emerged beneath Riku's feet, pulsing and exuding long trails that sprout up from the pool and lashed at the air. Tendrils emerged, creeping up and wrapping themselves around Riku. He didn't move, didn't even try to struggle.

My skin prickled.

Sora rushed forward, only for more darkness to form beneath us. Panic quickly rushed in, leaving my mind swimming. He reached back, taking hold of my wrist with one hand and reaching toward Riku with the other. I gripped Sora's wrist in turn, as if he alone would be enough to keep me safe as the darkness rose higher and higher.

I struggled helplessly, fighting the literal grasp of the darkness to no avail. In the corner of my eye I saw Sora struggling in a fight of his own, attempting to reach Riku's hand through the darkness and the space between them. He strained, stretched, his fingers brushing past Riku's and—

The darkness swallowed me whole.

It was like my dream; I was suspended, almost floating with how firm of an embrace the darkness provided. It warmed and chilled my skin at the same time, and more than anything it _burned—_

There was a flash of light, and the darkness was gone without a trace.

I blinked wildly, slowly sinking to my knees next to Sora. My hand dropped from his.

Riku was gone, just like the darkness.

A glint of metal caught my eye, and when I looked up I saw a sword-like weapon in Sora's hand. It was simple, with a wide guard and a seemingly blunt blade. At its end was a large, flat protrusion.

All in all, it sort of looked like a key.

I peered up at Sora through my bangs, and while he looked at me with an expression of amazement I was full of nothing but dread. I swallowed.

"We gotta find Kairi," I managed.

He nodded, determined as ever, and reached out with his free hand. Too drained to protest or refuse, I pulled myself back up to my feet.

"You okay?" he asked. I almost found it funny how he finally took proper notice of me.

I opened my mouth, considering going with the honest truth. I walked past him.

"I'm fine."

* * *

Unfortunately, more of the shadow creatures awaited us when we headed back down. We could have stayed in the shack, waited for the storm to pass, but...

We had to find my sister.

But without a weapon I was helpless, left to do little more than watch Sora's back and make sure nothing got the slip on him. He, on the other hand, kept saving both of our asses with that over-sized key of his; unlike his wooden sword, it was capable of destroying the creatures.

"Where is she!?" I demanded in frustration, as if openly wondering once again would produce an answer. Tears burned my eyes, and in a rage I slammed my foot into the face of an approaching shadow creature. It bounced backward, squelching in and out of its secondary form as a shadow on the ground.

Sora focused on the others, but I didn't have enough time to waste my energy on throwing around the one I'd kicked. Instead, Sora was already getting to it by the time it dared to seep back up out of the sand.

I stomped my feet, annoyed and helpless and lost.

Then, another batch of the creatures defeated later, Sora was grabbing my wrist and dragging me behind him. I flailed to whatever extent I could muster the energy for, all-in-all too worn down to put up much of a fight.

It didn't take me long to realize he was heading towards the Secret Place, and it hit me. As a small inland cave, it'd be the perfect place to wait out bad weather like this.

For some reason there was a tall door in front of the small entrance, but it swung open as we approached. I didn't bother to pay it any mind. Sora ducked in ahead of me, and after nearly cracking my head against the low opening I managed to follow him inside. I straightened out to my full height as soon as I had the room, eyes struggling to adjust to the even more minimal lighting inside.

Sora had already disappeared down the winding path toward the cave. I trailed my hand along the wall as I made my way after him.

"Kairi!"

My heart skipped, and I ran through the familiar path as fast as I could. It only took seconds but it felt like forever before I emerged, spotting Kairi at the back of the cave and looking pale.

" _Kai—!_ "

The door at the back of the Secret Place flew open, darkness surging out. I wanted to scream, get Kairi and run, but the darkness was rushing out with such force she was blown off her feet. I saw her fly towards Sora, but then the gales reached us.

I tried to keep my footing steady but I slid back, down the path until I was thrown out of the entrance. I slammed into the sand with a grimace, and I heard Sora land ahead of me as the wind whipped at my skin and clothes.

"Whoa!"

"What?" I stumbled onto my feet, nearly falling back down the moment I looked past him.

We were still on land, yet the mere _piece_ of the island we were on was high in the sky. Chunks of land and debris swirled around us, the massive glowing and pulsating orb of darkness just above us. My stomach dropped, twisting into harsh knots.

Sora turned around, head tipping back. "Kaen...!"

He raised his arm to point and I whirled, mouth falling open. The massive shadow creature from my dream towered above us, hands hanging down by its feet as they had before. Sora stood in front of me with his widened stance, lowering himself with his sword-key in hand, but made no move.

"Go for the hands!" I shouted, shoving him in the back. Still, however, all he did was look at me desperately over his shoulder.

"But...!" still, he protested, looking back and forth between me and the creature. The truth came to me, and I felt like crying.

I was holding him back. He wasn't attacking because of me; because I was defenseless, and because I was useless. I couldn't do anything.

"Just— Just _do it!_ " I shoved him again, glaring hard through the tears in my eyes. "I can take care of myself, Sora!"

Kairi's earlier words rang out in my head, and the world spun around me. She'd just wanted me to not shelter her so much, to give her enough space so that she could do things on her own. I felt sick.

Without a sound the massive shadow creature slammed its fist down, shaking the ground beneath us. A pool of darkness surrounded its hand, and just like in the dream the small shadow creatures began to crawl out of the energy.

Once again Sora looked back at me, unsure.

"You fight or I will!" I snapped, throwing my arm forward to point at the group of creatures. "Just do it, Sora!"

He opened his mouth, and I hardened my gaze. Instead of speaking he let his mouth fall shut and nodded, reaffirming his stance.

He turned back around and ran into the fray, swinging and striking down the smaller creatures whenever they got in the way of the larger one's hand. It was wasn't long before they were all down and his sole focus was the hand, Sora rearing back and slamming his weapon down against it with every motion.

Then the creature lurched forward, as if it would crumple in its entirety. Instead it stayed propped up on one hand, its other arm plunged down into the island up to its shoulder as if the earth was nothing but air. Sora attacked its hand relentlessly, so much so that it made my own heart race.

I watched with a mix of dread and anticipation, believing in Sora's abilities but beyond frustrated that I couldn't help properly.

Then the creature was straightening out, an orb of glowing red darkness held in its large, newly-emerged hand. It held its own wrist, the orb seeming to pulse and grow even larger. My heart stopped.

"Sora!"

He rushed back in time to see the creature raise its hands. The sphere came apart in its grasp, smaller globes of energy falling down like snow.

"Don't let 'em touch you!" Sora shouted, jumping out of the way of one orb as it fell past him. The sand beneath it sizzled and crackled once it made contact.

I nearly shivered, turning my gaze skyward to see any and all of the orbs that might come my way. I moved slowly but surely, making sure I wouldn't trip myself up yet also doing my best to stay out of the falling energies' way.

I shuffled backwards, wary, with the sound of Sora's fight filling my ears as I watched the sky. It wasn't hard to keep myself safe, not with how the only goal I had in mind was to avoid the slow-moving particles. Sora, meanwhile, had to do so while doing his best to hurt the creature.

My neck strained, and when I finally lowered my gaze I saw that all the orbs had fallen. The creature itself was bent backwards, and with a painful clarity pieces of my dream flickered through my mind. I searched around for Sora as the creature started to gather dark energy inside its heart-shaped cavity, quickly finding him behind its arm.

"Sora!" I called out to him; he nearly toppled onto his back with how far he leaned over to look at me. I flung my arm out, pointing towards the writhing sphere of darkness just as it started to shoot out smaller orbs. "Be careful!"

Almost immediately I had to follow my own advice, rolling to the side to barely avoid a sphere heading for me. I scrambled, backpedaling to dodge another as it flew past my face and nearly seared off my bangs. I jumped to dodge a third, daring to look over and make sure Sora was doing his best to attack the creature.

Then, when all the spheres had collided with their targets and the massive ball of energy in the giant's chest dispersed, there was nothing. It was hard to follow my better judgment and not approach it to check it for life.

The wind whipping around us increased in force, pulling up sand and debris toward the center of the looming sphere of darkness. Perhaps it was the proximity with this remnant of the islands, or perhaps it was the adrenaline and fear still rushing through my veins, but the massive orb seemed far bigger than before.

I felt myself being pulled, tugged by the wind, and I spun on my heel and kicked off away from it. But with every step I had less and less traction, my feet sliding further back than I was moving ahead.

The air picked me up and with a cry I was thrown back, colliding into something else with another's gasp. I tumbled over Sora's back, hands shooting out and managing to latch onto his leg. My grasp slid until it successfully hooked around his ankle, his own hands firmly gripping a wooden outcrop lodged into the ground.

Still, the gales had us pulling away and upwards — towards the orb of shadows. Even the giant shadow creature was lifted from the ground as easily as a feather.

" _Hold on!_ " Sora yelled back. I saw his right hand quiver and strain and dreaded what I knew would come next.

" _Same to you!_ " I shouted back, unsurprised yet still shaken when one of his hands was pulled from its wooden purchase. The wind only seemed to increase in force, whipping us around like a ribbon.

He jerked, suddenly and harshly, and my hands were torn away from his leg. I was tossed into the air with a scream stuck in my throat, watching in silent horror as the air violently lashed at my form and the island quickly grew farther and farther away.

As I was sucked up —toward what, I did my best to pretend not to know— I struggled, yet with nothing to grab I didn't tumble in the air or slow at all.

Despite the tears in my eyes and the debris flying about, I saw when Sora's second hand slipped away from the wreckage. He was flung back, in what I could only assume was a similar path to what I'd just taken.

And everything went black.


	4. Reality

**Hello again! As you'll notice I've updated the cover with a proper drawing of Kaen — you can find her full design on my tumblr and/or twitter (both _noritamine_ ), along with her Keyblade. To be honest I went through the next world, taking notes as I went, and nearly finished just after I was done with this chapter. Then I instead took a break from writing to work on art of Kaen, and even though it's only been half a week it's oddly tricky to get back into writing. **

**Still, I should see you all next week at least! Reviews are appreciated, and thank you all for reading.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Reality**

The first thing I realized was that every part of me was sore. Then, my eyes opened and all I could do was stare at the night sky above me. The countless stars were incredibly clear, reminding me of the times when Sora's dad had taken us to the play island to stargaze.

Eventually I shifted, biting back a groan at all the aches and pains that sparked into life across my form. I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled over, hands splaying against the cool surface of the ground. My forehead pressed against the smooth surface, and in a way it was soothing. However, it couldn't and wouldn't last forever.

I opened my eyes and shoved myself upright, eyes immediately going wide. Before me was nothing close to anything I'd ever seen before. Back home the buildings were spaced out, simple, but here they were wall-to-wall; one building started right where the ones next to it ended.

My head tipped to the side, eyes flickering around in an attempt to see any trace of something familiar.

There was nothing.

I turned on my heel, head leaning back to peer at the buildings past the railed level they sat upon. A fountain trickled close by, its back pressed to the wall, but as much as it reminded me of home I didn't give it too much attention.

I had to find someone. Sora, Riku, Kairi, or at least someone who could point me in the right direction.

Or any direction, really; right now, having the slightest amount of help would be great.

Slowly I turned around, eyes scanning the surrounding for any clue as to what to do next. Then, right before I was going to make a full loop, I saw the stairs. Without waiting I hurried across the cobblestone, climbing up the stretch of steps that led up to the second level.

Once again I carefully spun around, searching for anything that stood out, good or bad.

Then, I saw it, hard to miss with its number of signs.

A hotel. One across the area, on the opposite side of the second level.

I walked along the pathway, gaze flicking to the buildings at my side. I found myself stopping in front of a store, peering into the reflective glass. I leaned in, hand pressing against the cold surface. I stared and stared hard, searching my own light teal eyes as if they held the answers to everything going on.

With an even deeper frown I pulled away, fingertips brushing my hair from my eye. I turned, moved to start walking again, but all I could do was continue to peer at my own image. The brilliantly colored red hair that most definitely only had a _trace_ of pink, the off-the-shoulder black top and the pale indigo tank top underneath...

The lights along the railings glowed, effecting the colors of everything nearby with their gentle glows. Despite the way they were in the backdrop, they still managed to hold up in clarity to my own reflection.

I tipped my head to the side, confused about everything, from where I was to why I was so transfixed with myself. I blinked, slowly, half-expecting to be back home when my eyes reopened.

I stayed where I was, wherever it was. Another world? Another island? No, it couldn't be the latter; for the first time in my life, there wasn't even a trace of the tang of salt in the air. Tears burned my eyes, and with no need to save face there was no need to stop the way my vision blurred.

I swallowed hard and shook my head, pressing my hands into my eyes.

There was a quiet, almost squelching sound.

I jumped as the silence was suddenly broken, whirling around. A deep shadow was on the ground, shifting and _moving_ across the stone.

I froze, carefully edging backwards until my back pressed against the storefront. I swallowed hard, feeling the sweat bead across my forehead.

More shadows crept up. Shivers ran down my spine.

Slowly, I started to inch to the side. The shadows followed, all but circling.

The first shadow creature seeped up from the ground, claws curling and uncurling.

I waited.

It moved closer.

I ran.

I wanted to scream, cry, but more than anything I wanted to get away. I had to get away.

I veered around the corner, soles skidding against the ground. I scrambled, nearly toppling over from the momentum as I slid. I pushed myself away from the ground with my hand, bolting as fast as I could.

The creatures were near silent; I had no idea how close or how far off they were. I didn't want to know, either; not really. Ignorance was bliss, even in a situation like this.

I crashed shoulder first into the next building as I skidded around the next corner, just barely missing a window and potentially breaking through it. I rushed ahead, as hard and as fast as I could. The blood was roaring in my ears, and the short distance to the hotel's entrance seemed more like an endless field than anything else.

Then, I was finally slamming the door open, chest heaving. I threw it shut behind me, back pressed against the wooden surface. I squeezed my eyes shut, ears straining in an attempt to hear anything beyond my rapid heartbeat.

I heard nothing.

No claws, no steps, not even any squelching of the shadow creatures changing forms. I let out a heavy breath, wiping off my face as I opened my eyes. I straightened out, fiddling with the pendant as I headed down the hall.

I passed by the first door and paused. Carefully, I knocked loudly.

Once again, there was no answer.

I poked my head inside, frowning.

No one.

I closed the door quietly, checking each room as I headed down the hall. The result? A whole load of nothing.

I didn't want to go back out there, with the creatures, but I also knew I couldn't stay in here. For one there weren't any supplies, and more than that I couldn't find anyone by holing myself up in here.

With a heavy sigh I stopped in front of the exit at the end of the hall, swallowing. I gathered my courage, my will to find my friends, and reached out.

I opened the door.

* * *

A muffled clang of metal against metal reached my ears. I quickened my steps, bursting out into a run. Another set of massive doors met me and I threw them open in a hurry and rushed through—

 _Sora_.

He was there, standing across from a darkly-clad brunet in the middle of a plaza.

Sora, in his characteristic red.

Sora, still with his over-sized key of a weapon in hand.

Sora, falling back onto the ground.

Sora, still.

The man, still holding his massive blade weapon in hand.

The man, poised as if he'd just taken a strike.

The man, standing over Sora.

Blood roared in my ears all over again, and it felt as if the ground had just been yanked from underneath me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, could only see Sora's motionless form and the figure looming over him.

I saw red.

" _ **SORA!**_ " I bolted forward, tightly gripping the weapon suddenly in my hands. The man looked over at me, the alarm clear on his face.

With a yell I raised both of my hands over my head, lunging towards him with nothing but anger in my veins and—

A strong force slammed into my gut, sending the world spinning and spots bursting behind my eyes. The air tore itself from my lungs and I fell, crumpling to the ground in a heap. There was a clatter of something nearby, but all I could focus on was the desperate need for oxygen.

"Thanks, Yuffie."

Wheezing, I forced my gaze upward and glared daggers at the man. He had a thin scar across his face, and his features were empty as he looked down at me. At his side was a girl, Yuffie, with short dark hair and a yellow scarf looped around her neck.

"No problem, Leon," I only glared harder at the sound of her chipper voice, my jaw clenching tight. I pressed my hand against the ground by my head and shakily propped myself upright, trembling.

I never looked away from the bastards, not caring for the bruising on my abdomen or the throbbing pain it emanated. They'd hurt Sora they'd hurt Sora _they'd hurt my friend—_

" _You—_ " I clambered onto my feet, arm rearing back and hand curled into a fist. I threw it at his face, fast and hard.

With ease, he stepped back and was gripping my wrist in his gloved hand. I shrieked, struggled, free hand flying until it, too, was in his grasp.

"The hell did you do!?" I demanded, feet slamming into the ground with as much frequency as possible as tears burned my eyes. I fought him, despite his strength and despite his size, determined to make him pay.

"He's just unconscious, you know," Yuffie piped in, as if it changed what had happened. Tears burned my eyes, and though knowing Sora was okay eased some of the panic it did nothing for the fury. "You see this?"

I followed her as she walked around us, picking up the key weapon from Sora's hand and straightening, holding it out.

"What about it?" I spat, only glaring harder. With little to no range of movement my struggles slowed, but once the idea of it occurred it me it was hard to restrain myself and not slam my feet into Leon's.

"It's called a Keyblade," she explained, resting it over her shoulder. "The Heartless were tracking him as long as he had it on him."

My brow furrowed, features twisting in confusion. Did she mean—? "Heartless?"

"The creatures roaming around. You've seen them, right?"

"Those shadow creatures?" I blurted out, eyebrows shooting up at the name. _Heartless?_ It seemed fitting, but at the same time...

"Yep," she nodded, head tipping to the side. "And your friend here refused to let go of his Keyblade, so..."

"So you _attacked him!?_ " My head snapped around to glare at the man, fuming. His expression was as impassive as ever, and I barely had half a mind not to slam my heel into his shin. "Just because he's a stubborn idiot doesn't mean—!"

"He wouldn't listen to a stranger asking him to give up his weapon?" Leon quipped back, coolly. I half-stared half-glowered up at him, mouth clamping shut. My face burned. "Now, have you calmed down yet or are you going to attack me again?"

I looked away, more heat rushing to my face. My jaw clenched. Slowly, I nodded.

He let me go, and I crossed my arms stubbornly. He stepped back, and headed over to Sora. I watched him, warily. "I've got the kid. Yuffie, get the other one."

"You got it."

 _The other one?_

I whirled around, just in time to see Yuffie stoop to the ground and grab—

"What is _that?_ " I gaped at her as she picked up the dark weapon, a brilliant purple flower wrapped around where the guard met the shaft. What seemed to be a large petal peeled away from the end of its length, curved almost like a crescent moon.

"It's your Keyblade," she chirped, straightening out and looking back over at me.

I stared, mouth falling open.

" _My—?_ " somehow, I managed to point at myself. My mind was spinning, now more than ever. First there was Sora and his so-called Keyblade back at Destiny Islands, and now...?

"It appeared right before you rushed at me," I spun on my heel to look at Leon, who now had Sora in his arms. I bristled. "You mean to tell me you've never summoned it before?"

I sputtered, too confused to be offended by his tone. I shook my head. "N-No..."

"Well, come on," carefully he started to walk, heading up the steps with Yuffie following after him. "We'll explain everything after Sora wakes up. What's your name?"

"...Kaen," I mumbled, dragging my feet after them.

* * *

We were back at the hotel, inside a green-covered room. Sora had been set on the bed, the duo standing while I remained plopped down in one of the chairs. The Keyblades were propped against the wall, and with the realization that I had one it was hard to keep myself away from it.

There was a groan from the other side of the room. I nearly jumped, gaze flying over to Sora in worry. Yet instead of being in pain, all he did was roll onto his side.

I felt my mouth twitch. How typical of him.

With her fists on her hips Yuffie strutted up to the bedside, leaning over Sora. "Come on, lazy bum. Wake up."

I did my best to peer past her, nearly toppling out of my chair as I did so. I managed to make out the shake of his head by the shift of his spiky hair, and could only assume he'd sat up when he left what I could see.

Yuffie's head tipped to the side. "You okay?"

"I guess," he said. Relief left my chest ready to burst.

Yuffie straightened out. "Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade. But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

My brow furrowed. I already knew the shadow creatures were called the Heartless, but them being after hearts? It made sense, what with their name, and it gave them a reason to attack people, but what was so special about the heart of someone with a Keyblade?

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi."

My heart stopped. I felt sick to my stomach. Tears burned my eyes, and I fixed my gaze to the floor. I glimpsed my pendant, and I wrapped my hand around it protectively. Worry for both my sister and my friends rose back to the surface, Sora included.

"Kairi?" with good reason, she was confused. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

"Huh?" I could all but see Sora gape, and the familiarity of the situation was so strong it was painful.

Nearly huffing, Yuffie turned to look back at Leon. "I think you might have overdone it, Squall."

I blinked. _Squall?_ Was that a nickname of his, or something?

"That's Leon," he corrected.

"The Keyblade..." even without seeing him I knew Sora's gaze traveled to the wall where his Keyblade sat. Confusion entered his voice. "Wait, whose is—?"

Yuffie stepped to the side, leaving me in full view of Sora. He gaped. "Hers."

"Wha— Kaen!?" he sputtered. The relief at finally seeing him awake did nothing for the knots in my stomach.

"Hey, Sora," I managed a weak smile.

Yuffie nodded, almost to herself, stepping back. She glanced back at me, nodded slightly, then put her focus back on Sora. "We had to get your Keyblades away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you."

"It was the only way to conceal your hearts from them," Leon elaborated, folding his arms. I frowned, looking over at him. "But it won't work for long. Still, hard to believe that you two of all people are the chosen ones."

I nearly scoffed. _Chosen ones?_ They were already two of us, just from one little island; just what made those with Keyblades so rare?

Leon grabbed Sora's Keyblade in his hand, throwing his arm out in a slow and simple strike. It exploded in light, doing just the same as it reformed in Sora's hand. I stared, looking back at the wall where my own Keyblade was resting.

I imagined its hilt in my hand, the weight of it, and in another flurry of light it appeared in my hand. I looked back at Sora, unable to hold back my grin.

"Well," Leon sighed, stealing our attention once again. "I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

I scowled, briefly contemplating the idea of taking him by surprise to attack him again.

"Why don't you start making sense!" Sora was angry, frustrated. I could see why. First there was how Leon had knocked him out, and before then there'd been... "What's going on here?"

A frown came to my face, as similar questions entered my own mind. Just how had we gotten here? What had happened to our homes, our families, our island?

Leon looked back at me, and nodded towards Sora. After a moment of confusion and a bit of fumbling, I scurried to the other side of the room and sat down next to Sora.

"You know there are other worlds besides your home and this town, right?" I shared a look with Sora. In sync, we both nodded. We looked back toward Leon. "They've been secret, because they've never been connected. Until now. When the Heartless came, everything changed."

"The Heartless?" I glanced back at Sora, quickly remembering that he'd been out of it for the mini-explanation Yuffie had given me.

Yuffie dropped down next to me. She looked past me, at Sora. I couldn't help but do the same. "The ones who attacked you, you remember?"

"Those without hearts," Leon explained.

"The darkness in people's hearts — that's what attracts them." I nearly shivered at Yuffie's explanation. More about darkness? I recalled the substance that giant Heartless back at the island had gathered inside the hole in its chest, the pools from my dream. My skin crawled.

"And there is darkness within every heart," Leon said.

"Hey," Yuffie looked at us. "Have you heard of someone named Ansem?"

I felt Sora lean forward to get a better look at her.

"Ansem?" we chorused, curious.

Leon nodded. "He was studying the Heartless. He recorded all of his findings in a detailed report. But its pages have been scattered everywhere, to many worlds. But in order to safely gather them, the key to defeating the Heartless is needed."

Sora and I shared a look. Our gazes fell to his Keyblade — the one that far more closely resembled a key.

"So," he held it out, examining it. "This is the key..."

"Exactly!" Yuffie chirruped, nodding.

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Leon's back turned to us as he paced across the room. I noticed the small pair of red wings on the back of his short jacket. "That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what."

"Well," Sora sounded unsure. I didn't blame him. "I didn't ask for this."

"They Keyblade chooses its master," Yuffie said, turning towards us. "And it chose you two."

"So tough luck," with a nonchalant wave Leon leaned against the door, arms folding once again. And once again, he had me glaring holes into him.

"How did all this happen? I remember being in my room..." Sora gasped, jumping to his feet. "Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!"

"You know what?" Leon didn't even bother to look over. Despite it, for once his voice seemed to show emotion. He seemed... worn down, tired, almost. "I really don't know."

I looked back to the floor. I gripped my Keyblade until my knuckles turned white. If we made it out, then Riku and Kairi both had to, right?

Tears burned my eyes all over again. I struggled to keep them back.

"Kaen?" I nearly jumped out of my skin, eyes snapping up to Sora's. His head tipped to the side. "You okay?"

I forced myself to nod. "I'm fine."

He nodded, and stood up. I watched him as he approached Leon. The man watched him in turn. "Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself?"

"To fight for your life," Leon clarified. "Are you ready?"

Sora looked back at me. I put a smile on my face, nodding. Sora nodded in return, shoulders rolling back. His gaze returned to Leon. "I'm ready!"

Leon glanced over at me, and without needing to consider I nodded up at him. I doubt he needed any reassurance. After all, I'd literally ran at him without a care to try and protect Sora.

"Yuffie, let's go join Aerith," Leon pushed away from the door, arms falling to his sides. "She should be there now with the other visitors."

Wait, Aerith? Other visitors? What was he talking about?

"Leon!" Yuffie cried out, pointing.

In the corner of the room there was briefly an orb of shadow, before it turned into what I could only assume was another kind of Heartless. It had a red emblem on its chest and a clattering helmet that showed its smooth face.

I jumped to my feet, hands gripping the hilt of my Keyblade.

"Yuffie, go!" Leon barked, leaving no room for objection. The other girl dashed out, throwing the door open with a muted slam. Her footsteps retreated, and though I heard someone else call out to her I kept my focus on the Heartless.

"Sora, Kaen, let's go!"

With one strong blow the Heartless had been thrown back, bursting through the window and falling from the balcony. Leon darted through the door after it, leaping off the balcony. Sora and I shared a brief look before heading out after him on foot.

* * *

We met up with Leon in the alley behind the hotel, the helmeted Heartless scattered about. We had neither the time nor the stamina to destroy every one we came across.

"Don't bother with the small fry. Find the leader! Let's go!" he kicked off, running through the Heartless. I sprinted after him, Sora at my heels. We burst out of the door at the end of the alley, emerging right in front of the fountained area from when I'd first woken up.

More of the helmeted Heartless appeared, in the same manner as the first, but without paying them any mind we ran past them and headed up the steps.

We hurried down the path, and instead of turning at the corner to head back to the hotel we kept going straight. Another set of large doors laid before us, and we pushed them open. As they swung shut behind us Leon's weapon disappeared in a similar fashion to the Keyblades, and I knew better than to question it.

Was the ability to summon and dismiss weapons on command a common skill, then? I looked down, eyeing my own Keyblade.

"The First District is secure," Leo said, turning back to us. "If you run into trouble, come back here."

I frowned, brow furrowing. "What about finding the leader?"

"Yeah! Don't you know where it is?"

Leon shook his head. "You two rest for now. Why don't you get to know the area before heading off to the Second and Third Districts?"

Sora peered at me, curious.

I shrugged.

He, on the other hand, nodded. "Alright! Come on, Kaen, there's someone you should meet."

* * *

After meeting the owner of the accessory shop, Cid, along with Leon and Yuffie's friend, Aerith, we checked in with Yuffie. There was a door that lead straight to the Third District, apparently, but for safety reasons it was now barricaded off.

I looked at Sora, raising a brow. "You know another way to the Third District?"

He nodded. "Yeah, follow me!"

We rushed back up the steps that wrapped around the accessory shop, running back into Leon on the final landing.

"You two heading out?"

"We are," I said, Sora nodding.

Leon nodded himself, his sword-adjacent weapon appearing in his hand. "We'll guard the First District. Go check out the Second and Third Districts, but be careful." Something flickered in his eyes. "Show us the power of the Keyblade."

I grinned.

"You got it!" Sora beamed.

Sora ran back through the doors into the Second District, and I sprinted after him. Almost as soon as the doors shut behind us the first of the Heartless appeared, one of the helmeted ones in the middle of a cluster of the scrawnier ones.

"Go, go, go!" I yelled, striking one that dared to approach and immediately continuing to run. I looked behind me, only to see Sora still focused on the fight. I swore and dove back towards him, slashing any Heartless away and taking Sora by the arm. "Come on, Sora! Find the leader, remember?"

"But—!"

I shook my head, half-leading half-dragging him ahead. "We don't have the time! Besides, Leon'll keep them from getting into the First District, remember?"

He didn't protest, but he didn't look close to happy, either. I pushed him ahead of me, scowling.

"Come on, Sora!" I snapped, trying not to focus on the clatter of a helmet as the Heartless lessened the distance between us.

"Ri-Right..." he nodded, but he continued to run without his usual sprightliness. My feet slammed into the ground with every step.

Impatient, I jumped off the second level and landed in a crouch at the bottom of the steps. More Heartless appeared, spread out in front of the fountain, and I hit away every one whenever they came close. I heard Sora head down the steps after me, and once I heard him retreat I turned around and bolted after him.

Sora wheeled around, taking a sharp turn along the back of the stairs. I skidded around the corner after him, peering ahead. There was a pathway, and we wove between Heartless as we headed down it. The path continued around the corner; at its end was another pair of doors, beneath a sign labeled "3rd District".

We rushed in, onto the landing of a massive staircase. Down the steps and over the railing was an almost closed off area, nearly surrounded in its entirety by high structures. Sora and I shared a look before rushing down the steps, soles clapping against the stone.

We walked across the floor, looking around warily and awaiting Heartless that didn't come. Then, from high above, there was screaming.

I spun around on my heel and looked up, taking only a moment to find the figures plummeting through the sky. With a yell and a scream the both of us scrambled backward, dreading their landing.

Yet, almost as soon as we'd noticed them, they were crashing into us.

My shoulders slammed into the pavement, pains already spreading across my form through the haze my hit head was now in. I stirred, struggling to move or even breathe with the mass of people crushing me. I bit back a groan.

"The key!" the strangers exclaimed, making my head throb with how close they were. One of them had an oddly nasal voice, while the other held a lazy drawl.

"Mind getting off?" I gasped, my own Keyblade awkwardly jabbing into my stomach.

With their own excuses I felt the strangers roll off from the top of the pile. After them, Sora climbed off and I could finally breathe again. I gasped for breath, digging my Keyblade into the ground by its tip to haul myself back to my feet.

I heard the strangers gasp, but I couldn't care less about the what or the why. I straightened out, quietly struggling for breath.

"...You okay?" Sora asked, tentatively.

I bit back a sly remark and instead merely nodded, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I'm—" I looked over, towards the others. "...Fine...?"

I stared; I couldn't help it.

They were both people, but... suffice to say one seemed to be a bipedal dog, and the other an overgrown duck.

Then, the entire area rumbled. I swore, gripping my Keyblade in both hands and edging closer to Sora.

We looked around, confused and wary. Square pillars burst from the ground, reaching high and sealing off the lower level from the rest of the area. I clenched my jaw.

More of the helmeted Heartless appeared in front of us. I ran forward, arms raised high.

We all fought — me and Sora with our Keyblades, the dog with his shield, and the duck with his magic. With their help, it was far easier and far faster to get rid of them all. Before I knew it, as I looked around there was nothing but what the Heartless had dropped. There was munny, surprisingly, as well as small orbs the color of potions.

I sat on my haunches, reaching out towards one. When I touched it it flew towards me, disappearing inside my flesh with a faint chill. As soon as it did, the aches and weariness across my body lessened.

Sora stepped ahead, away from us. I looked back, eyeing the strangers.

A low hum filled the air, radiating from above. My head snapped up, catching sight of a massive set of purple armor plummet from the sky. On the chest piece there was an emblem, the same as the one on the helmeted Heartless.

Yet before any of the pieces could hit the ground they all spun around in the air, floating by the main body as if there was a figure inside. A matching helmet fell from the sky, landing atop the neck of the armor before lifting up to float above it.

"Sora!" hurriedly, I beckoned him away from the armor. He looked back at me, then back to the armor, before scrambling my way. The others, meanwhile, were already attacking. The duck was flinging spells at it with his staff, and the dog was ramming into it shield-first.

Then the gauntlet hands whirled around in the air, almost idly, before spinning rapidly around the chest piece as they descended to the ground. With a cry Sora dove, barely managing to get out of their way.

The other weren't so lucky, and I looked away as they were thrown back with cries of their own.

I grimaced, peeking back at the battle. The gauntlets were back at the armor's sides, and the strangers were already back on their feet and fighting.

I shook my head and gripped my Keyblade in both hands, charging in with Sora once the coast was clear. The others were already focused on the gauntlets, and it wasn't a hard decision to follow suit.

There was a clang of metal, the arms flying away from the rest of the body. They remained airborne and paired up. We followed, leaping into the air and waiting for them to lower in order to attack. I yelled out, throwing my weight into each strike to maximize the damage.

The ground shook with heavy thuds and I whirled around, seeing the feet separate from the torso in order to rise up and stomp against the ground. I whirled around, making sure they were a ways away but still in my sight, and continued the onslaught against the gauntlets.

Under our relentless attacks, one of the hands shattered and dispersed in a slew of dark wisps and healing orbs.

The body itself pulled away from its limbs, feet and fist all doing their best to slam into us. With a fierce grin I jumped up, continuing the assault against the remaining hand.

Something audibly whirled, and I was slamming into the ground with crushing force. I couldn't even manage a scream, the air squeezed from my lungs. That, combined with the pain, made my thoughts spin in an agonized whirl.

Vaguely I heard my name, the duck calling out after the torso retreated, and in a wash of light I found air in my lungs and the pain across my body gone. I stumbled back onto my feet, looking toward the duck in amazement. He nodded.

I nodded in return, thankful, before refocusing on the armor. Sora and the magic-wielding duck focused on the arm, and I and the dog turned our attention to the rampaging feet. I dipped and dived, barely avoiding a stomp only to whirl around and attack in turn.

In a flurry, the rest of the limbs fell apart.

With only the torso left, it was far easier. It was easy to see when it would attack, easy to dodge, and easy to take advantage of openings.

Suddenly it rumbled, shaking hard. I fell back to the ground and scrambled back, the others doing the same. We backed up, carefully, eyes trained on the armor.

The helmet fell off and slammed into the ground, causing it to shake beneath our feet. I waited for the body to do the same, but it never did. Instead a brilliant white light burst from its neck, almost blinding. A large heart, symmetrical and crystalline, floated out into the sky and disappeared with the light.

There was a rush of wind around the pieces of armor, and in a blur they vanished as well.

* * *

Sora and I faced the two, the curiosity undoubtedly clear on our faces.

"So, you were looking for me?" Sora pointed at himself, wondering, and they nodded.

"Well, both of ya, I guess," the dog said, hand raising to the back of his head. I couldn't describe the sudden swelling in my chest.

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade."

I looked back, to see Leon and Yuffie in their trademark poses. Leon had his arms folded, and Yuffie stood proudly with her hands on her hips. She nodded in agreement.

"Hey," the dog spoke up again, making me look back at him. "Why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessels."

I felt ready to cry, relief filling me as a grin came to my face.

Still, Sora's head was hanging and his gaze was rooted on the ground. "I wonder if we could find Riku and Kairi..."

"Of course," the duck reassured him. I nodded, nudging Sora with my elbow. Meanwhile the dog bent over to the duck's height, having a hushed conversation with him.

"It'll be okay, Sora," I forced a smile, idly wondering when our roles had reversed.

I heard someone step forward, Leon speaking up. "Sora, Kaen, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends."

"Yeah, I guess," I frowned, heart squeezing at Sora's hopeless tone. He didn't budge or look up, despite the massive chance we had to actively look for Riku and Kairi.

"But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" the duck raised a finger. His hands settled on his hips, and I looked over at him in confusion. "No frowning. No sad face, okay?" His large eyes looked up at Sora, silently pleading.

I felt a weak smile come to my own face. Perhaps his approach wasn't the best, but his intentions were.

The dog swooped down, nearly slamming his face into the duck's and making the other lean away. "Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!"

Without a word the duck shoved him away, gaze returning to Sora with a smile on his bill. "This boat runs on happy faces."

"Happy?" if anything, Sora sounded worse off than before.

With a tight jaw I watched him silently, perhaps waiting with more anticipation than the others to see his attempt at a smile.

After a moment Sora lifted his head, the most ridiculous, fake grin on his face. I covered my mouth with my hand, and I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Sora looked between the other two, waiting for their approval.

His face fell, into a just as ridiculous and large, gaping frown.

I bit on my lip; the dog and duck burst into laughter.

"That's one funny face!" the dog chortled, seeming like his willowy frame might topple over.

Still, Sora seemed in far better spirits when he straightened back out. I smiled, wearily.

Sora looked over at me, and I nodded.

"Okay, why not? We'll go with you guys."

"Donald Duck," the duck held out his hand.

"Name's Goofy," he set his hand over Donald's.

"I'm Sora," he raised his hand.

"Kaen," I told them, hesitantly raising my own hand. I glanced over at Sora and he nodded, smiling reassuringly. A weight seemed to lift itself off my shoulders.

I set my hand on top of Goofy's.

"All for one, one for all," the dog declared. Sora finally set his hand over mine.


	5. Departure

**Sorry for the delay, everyone! With a multitude of personal problems on top of difficulty writing, the majority of this chapter has taken far longer than it should've. That said, there's a chance I won't be able to complete a world every week (as you've already seen), but at the very least I'll try to get a chapter —or a whole world, if I can— posted every other week if not every week. Really, it depends on how much I can pump out on a daily basis.**

 **For now have the first part of the next world, and I hope you all enjoy! Reviews appreciated, and thank you all just for reading.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Departure**

"That was quite a battle," a male voice praised, softly.

I looked over, surprised, but didn't see anyone. I twisted in the other direction, peering past Sora, but I only saw Leon and Yuffie. I straightened back out, frown only deepening further in confusion at how calm Donald and Goofy were.

"Jiminy!" they cried in a greeting, looking over at someone I couldn't see. I gave Sora a look, even more at a loss than before, but he was also focused on something in that same direction. He raised his hand, pointing downward.

At a loss, I followed his finger.

"...Jiminy?" I echoed, blinking. I squatted down, not quite believing what I was seeing.

"Jiminy Cricket," his small and suited form clarified, briefly taking off his even smaller hat. "I'll be the chronicler of your journey, and all that you encounter."

"Gosh, Jiminy," Goofy stooped down, holding out a gloved hand. "I didn't realize we'd lost ya."

The cricket climbed onto his palm, easily keeping his balance as Goofy stood back up. I did the same, focused as ever on the new party member.

"It's quite alright," he reassured. "I suppose it was inevitable, what with all of you fighting. Pleased to meet you, Sora, Kaen."

"Hey, Jiminy," Sora greeted with a nod. I could tell he wanted to offer his hand to shake, or perhaps just a finger, but thought better of it.

"...Hi," I told the cricket, unsure of what to make of him. I eyed him. "So you were with Donald and Goofy when they, ah... fell?"

"Indeed I was," he nodded. Or, at least I thought he did. "As you could imagine, the Heartless were too focused with all of you to notice me."

"Now that we've got you back," Donald said. "Is everyone ready to get going?"

* * *

Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith all bid us off at the gates out of town, each with their own words of encouragement along with a gift of munny. I managed to get out a thank you, as awkward as I felt with all the positive attention from people I didn't really know.

"The gummi ship is outside that gate," Donald informed us, totally serious.

"The what?" we blurted it out in sync, and while Sora was just bewildered I was also a bit peeved. I didn't know what I'd expected, when we'd all talked about exploring other worlds, but it had involved far more wonder and far less confusion.

"That's our ship," he clarified. I huffed.

"You just said it was a ship," I reminded him, eyes narrowing down at him. "But what's it _like?_ "

"Just wait 'til you see it!" Goofy seemed utterly ecstatic at the idea of showing it to us. I hoped what he said rang true and that just seeing it would be enough.

"Hold on. Sora, Kaen, this is for you," Donald held his hand out, two intricate orbs in his hand. Sora and I shared a look, and with a confident nod from him and an unsure shrug from me we reached out.

The moment we touched them they disappeared in a flash of light, yet there was a sense that instead of going away they went _in_ tous. A rush of thoughts burst into my mind, nearly making my head spin. I blinked wildly, staring down at my hand in a mix of curiosity and awe at the new and sudden information I now had.

"Now you can use magic, too," Donald declared, proudly. "It's called—"

"Fire," I finished, already knowing the answer. I looked back at Sora, unable to help the grin I could feel pulling at my lips. He, however, had a furrowed brow, seeming deep in thought.

"Sora...?" before I could get around to waving my hand in front of his face, he was perking back up.

"Let's go!" he shouted, kicking off. He ran, heading back into town.

* * *

Two districts and many dozens of Heartless later, we were all rushing down the steps of the Third District after Sora. He headed into an open corner of the area, into a very brief corridor. At its end was a single, massive red door; emblazoned on its front was the design of a flame.

"This is why you brought us all the way back here?" I wasn't sure whether I was surprised or not. On one hand it was Sora, but on the other hand _it was Sora_.

"Just give me a second, would you?" he summoned his Keyblade, approaching the door. "I couldn't open it before, but..."

I held back a sigh. He dragged us back to the Third District right when we were about to leave for a door he couldn't even open?

Sora held his Keyblade out, pointing it toward the door.

"Fire!" he called, just as a ball of flame shot out from the tip of his Keyblade and flew toward the door. My hand twitched, ready to cast a spell of my own when the flames collided with the door. It was left unscathed, but now the fire symbol was aglow.

He looked back at us, grinning and standing proud. I ushered him on with a shooing motion.

Sora walked even further ahead, and the massive door opened with ease.

 _Magic door,_ I thought, numbly.

We all headed in, and almost immediately the painfully familiar scent of water and dampness filled the air. It was a massive, looming cave, filled to the brim by a gentle lake. Large, moving river-stones made up the path to the small island at the center. On it, all but filling the cave with its presence, was an odd, worn down house.

I took the first leap onto the stones, very nearly toppling over as the first one moved beneath me. Once I was steady I focused on the next stone, jumping across the small gap onto it. Still, with the constant motion, my legs wobbled.

I looked back over my shoulder at the others, waving them on encouragingly.

Once Sora started after me I continued on my way, the footsteps of everyone jumping about echoing across the chamber. It wasn't long before I was back on solid ground, on the island, and this time it was the lack of movement that had me stumbling.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, waving Goofy off. I straightened, eyeing the barricaded door. On one hand we could play nice and not go in, but on the other hand it seemed abandoned and it wouldn't be hard to pry the boards off.

I noticed a distinct _lack_ of something.

Squashing down the panic threatening to bubble in my chest, I hurried around the side of the building, looking around so fast I nearly made myself dizzy. I nearly barreled into Donald and Goofy in my search for Sora, barely stopping myself in time to keep from slamming into them.

Donald squawked — whether it was words or just a noise of irritation, I wasn't paying enough attention to tell. My gaze was focused on the large opening in the wall of the house, allowing a way inside.

"Kairi?"

I went rigid, heart stopping inside my chest. Without any hesitation I shoved past the others and rushed inside, wildly looking around. There was Sora, the smooth stone of the walls, and—

My stomach twisted into knots.

There was no one.

Tears of frustration and disappointment burned my eyes, and I clenched my jaw. I swallowed hard, rubbing at my eyes and clenching my jaw. I heard Goofy call out to us, confused, but I couldn't be bothered to reply.

I swallowed back the urge to cry, watching Sora through my bangs.

 _Why...?_

Had he heard something? Glimpsed something in the corner of his eye? Even if he had—

"Well, well."

I nearly jumped out of my skin, whirling around. There was an old, thin man in a blue robe; his gray beard was nearly as long. He held a bag of luggage in his hand, and despite how distanced he seemed there was something about him that made him feel perceptive, wise almost.

That, or I just assumed so from his age.

"You've arrived sooner than I expected," he tutted, making my eyebrows jump.

"Wha..." Sora started toward the old man, and I reached out to hold him back by the arm. He didn't even look back at me, too focused on the stranger. "You knew we were coming?"

"Of course," he said like it was obvious. I frowned, idly taking note of how I could hear Donald and Goofy come closer.

"Are you... a Heartless?" I wasn't sure whether to be startled or not by Sora's question. On one hand the geezer seemed completely human, but on the other hand we didn't know all the forms they could take. I took a half-step in front of Sora.

"He doesn't look like one," Donald pointed out, echoing my thoughts.

"Oh, my," he didn't seem offended. Rather, he appeared a bit disappointed. I was almost shocked when his towering hat didn't fall off. "No. My name is Merlin. As you can see, I am a sorcerer. I spend much of my time traveling. It's good to be home. Your king has requested my help."

"King Mickey?" Goofy asked, clearly wanting clarification.

"Yes, indeed. Donald, Goofy," I didn't know how he could have known their names. But then, if he knew their king, the king had probably told him their names. Merlin's focus came to us. "And who might you be, young ones?"

"I'm Sora."

"Kaen."

"Ah," his gaze slipped downward, to the Keyblade in Sora's hand. "So you have found the key."

Again with that wording. Was there something I was missing? Something I was out of the loop on? I couldn't see any real reason why they wouldn't just call the Keyblade by its actual name instead of just "the key". Not unless—

"What did the King ask you to do?" Donald questioned, cutting off my thoughts.

"Just a moment..." Merlin stepped forward onto the raised middle of the room, setting his bag down. He raised his hands with a flourish. "Presto!"

Small objects floated out of the bag, dancing in the air and following each other in a line around the perimeter of the room. One by one they started to grow in size in time with the movement of Merlin's hands, spreading themselves out until the room was a cluttered, book-filled mess.

"There, now. Ahem," he turned back toward us. "Your king asked me to train you in the art of magic. We can start anytime you'd like. Let me know when you're ready to start training. Oh, and one more thing."

He looked over, and I followed his gaze. There was a small, almost toy-sized carriage propped against the wall. Sparkles floated about before gathering toward the carriage, and in a burst of sparkling light the carriage was replaced by an old woman. Like Merlin she was robed, even holding a wand of her own.

"Hello," she greeted, her voice cheerful yet weary. "I'm the Fairy Godmother. Your king asked me to help, too: I will assist you throughout your journey."

I honestly hoped that didn't mean she'd tag along. Two —well, three counting Jiminy— creature people and one of my best friends was enough for me.

"I do not now how much I can be of help," Merlin admitted, awkwardly. "But do stop by anytime. Care to practice magic?"

"Uh..." Sora turned his head to look back at me, unsure. For a moment I considered it, but quickly I remembered the more time we spent here meant the more time Riku and Kairi spent who-knew-where. I shook my head, and he turned back to Merlin. "Not right now."

I headed on my way to the makeshift door, ducking back outside and hearing Sora ask the Fairy Godmother what she was doing with Merlin.

"My world has disappeared, too," I heard her say.

I didn't know how to describe the way I felt.

* * *

"...You get to different worlds on this thing?" I wondered, at a loss. My brow furrowed, and I tilted my head to the side as I examined the... oddly childish construction. It was like building blocks, each piece colorful and simply cut.

It looked like one hit would have it falling apart.

"How do we get inside?" Sora voiced the question that hadn't yet occurred to me, and I had to nod along. There was no entrance that I could see, or even any seams. The closest thing was the clear blue dome of the cockpit that sat at the top of the gummi ship.

"Watch," Donald strutted up to the ship, his staff in hand. He reached up, rapping its tip against the hull.

On cue, a panel slid open and a series of steps rolled out to the ground.

"There's not that much room on the inside," Goofy started up into the ship, his hat nearly getting knocked off as he ducked through the doorway. "But we've got what we need."

"You'll get used to it," Donald headed in after him, disappearing behind the gummi walls. It wasn't long until his head was poking back out. "Well? Come on!"

"Ye-Yeah!" Sora rushed up the steps, and I tried not to notice how flimsy they looked. I held back a grimace, carefully climbing up after him.

The hallway was narrow, with just enough light coming from the fixtures on the ceiling. The others' footsteps echoed about, and from the noise alone I could tell they were already above me. I hurried after them, ignoring the other rooms for now and instead climbing up the ladder built into the wall.

I clambered up into the cockpit, nearly slamming into one of the seats.

"Hey, there are only three seats!"

I took a quick look around, realizing Sora was right. I frowned, stomach knotting.

With what sounded like a duck version of a nervous laugh, Donald twisted and pressed at a section of controls on the dashboard. The two passenger seats slid to the side, a third popping out next to them. I knew better than to question how the whole thing worked.

Yesterday, I would have. But today? Today I was at another world, on a bizarre ship, with a party that had just as many animals as humans.

Well, _more_ , technically, even if Jiminy was going to be more of an observer than anything else.

I buckled in next to Sora, settling into the seat. Donald took the pilot's chair, and Goofy took the other seat at Sora's side. Jiminy hopped down into Sora's lap, a journal and pencil in his hands. He settled down against the armrest, turning it into a makeshift desk.

"Now," he looked up at us, flipping to an empty page in his journal. "I already know the others' story. What do you two say to telling me about your side of things while we travel?"

* * *

Apparently, the Heartless also used gummi ships to travel between worlds; we came across plenty of their ships on our way to the next world. Our ship was fitted with lasers, though, so Donald could shoot them down before they could get close.

But for the most part, my focus was on my and Sora's retelling of our own journeys. I was fine with getting into our plans to leave Destiny Islands, building the raft, and the frequent competitiveness between Sora and Riku. But once we got to the storm, when I'd let Kairi rush out...

I was happy to let Sora take the lead there.

I let myself grow quiet, slumping back in my seat and letting Sora tell the rest of the story.

"And then we got swept up into the air!" Sora threw his hands out to emphasize his point. I was half-listening half-ignoring what he said at this point, not that it really mattered with what he was saying.

I noticed something in the edge of my vision, and I looked up. I undid my seat belt, getting to my head and holding myself up with the back of Donald's seat and peering ahead.

We were approaching the next world.

"Kaen?"

"Sora, look!" I got onto my toes to get the best look I could. The next world loomed ahead of us, and for the first time since we'd left the islands, I felt excited.

The ground of the world was a red checker-pattern, a heart of the other color in the middle of each square. Lush hedges rose up, the archway leading inside also heart shaped.

"Wonderland," I heard Sora say slowly, carefully. With a confused frown I looked over and followed his gaze, seeing the name on the dashboard.

"...What was the last world called?" I asked, hoping one of them knew.

"Traverse Town," Goofy piped up, and from the corner of my eye I noticed he was now out of his seat as well.

"Everyone ready?" Donald rose, fiddling one last time with the controls. "Then lets go!"

He slammed his hand down onto one of the buttons, and a rush of light filled the cockpit. When it faded, there was nothing beneath us. I bit back a shriek, arms flailing in panic.

Yet, we didn't fall.

At least, not like we were supposed to. We descended gently, slowly.

I fell backward, watching as I flipped around and my feet went from being below me to above. But the momentum kept me moving, and it wasn't long before I was right side up again. It was dizzying.

I resisted the urge to shake my head, knowing it would only make it worse. Instead I focused on the gradually approaching floor, taking note of the mostly normal room below. It would have been completely normal, if not for how all the furniture seemed like stickers on the floor.

As we came closer we slowed even more, one by one landing gently on our feet. Goofy, however, never rose from his lounging position. While the rest of us were left standing, he was tossed to the floor with a dull thump. I winced.

Donald seemed ready to head to Goofy's side —whether to berate him or help, I wasn't sure— when a white, tail-coated rabbit rushed past us with a large pocket-watch in hand.

"Oh, my fur and whiskers!" he cried in a panic, his voice stuffy. I wondered how distressed he had to be to not notice four strangers far larger than him. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'm here, I should be there. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! The queen, she'll have my head for sure!"

On and on the rabbit went, rushing down the hall in a wild and uncontrolled path. We shared a look, all equally intrigued. Goofy got back to his feet, and we followed after the white rabbit at a casual pace.

The rabbit's path led us to a plain door. It popped open on its own, revealing a smaller door that did the same and showed another, even smaller door. The third door opened, this time leading into the next room. We'd caught the rabbit just in time to see him scurry across the floor, heading through a door that was along around as tall as my hand was long.

I frowned, eyebrows shooting up. He'd already been smaller than Donald, but not that small.

"How did he get so small?" Sora was as bewildered as the rest of us as he crouched in front of the tiny door. The rest of us peered over his shoulders, eyeing the door.

"No," a tired voice butt in, seeming to come from the doorknob of all things. "You're simply too big."

I jerked in surprise, nearly falling back. Donald's loud cry only made it harder to stay upright.

"It talks!" he quacked.

The doorknob yawned, its keyhole stretching wide.

"Must you be so loud?" it asked in turn. "You woke me up."

"Good morning," Goofy greeted cheerfully, waving.

"Good night!" the doorknob snapped back. "I need a bit more sleep."

"Wait!" Sora reached out in a panic as it closed its eyes with another yawn. "What do we have to do to get so small?"

"Why don't you try the bottle... over there?"

I looked back, just in time to see the chair and table that had seemingly been painted onto the floor pop up into three dimensions with a puff of smoke. Two bottles were on the table; one had a red label, and the other blue.

Standing, I traveled the small distance and plucked the blue bottle from the table. On the label was a tree, with an arrow pointing from the tree to a small sprout. In other words, the tree was getting smaller. "I think this is it."

Carefully, I threw my head back and took a drink. Just within the time it took to hand it over to Sora, the room was already growing bigger and bigger. Suddenly, I found myself scrambling to climb up onto the table. I looked around slowly, turning, utterly unnerved by the sudden and massive shift in size.

With some scrambling of their own, the others soon joined me on the table. I shifted, looking between them all, and it was Sora who started to walk first. We followed suit, reaching the edge of the table and peering down at the distance to the seat of the chair.

It wasn't much, and I was sure I'd jumped —or at least fallen— from similar heights without worry, but with the chance of missing on top of how much farther down the floor beyond it seemed...

Sora jumped with ease, Goofy doing the same. It seemed I was the only one here actually thinking about the risks of breaking something. Or multiple somethings.

The back of my neck prickled, and I looked over at Donald in annoyance. "What?"

"Aren't you going to go?" he asked, hands on his hips. I huffed.

"What about you?" I shot back, feigning the confidence I clearly didn't have.

Donald began to step backward for a running start, and I couldn't help but smirk.

Then, hands rammed hard into the small of my back. I shrieked as I was thrown off the table, slamming face-first onto the chair. My entire head throbbed, and I bit back a groan. With tears in my eyes I pressed my hands against the seat of the chair, pushing myself back up onto my feet with a small wobble.

I pressed my fingers to my nose and pulled back, just to make sure it wasn't bleeding.

It wasn't, and I was almost peeved that I didn't have an excuse to kick Donald off the chair. He dropped down by us, and I pretended I didn't feel Sora and Goofy's eyes on the both of us.

"...Kaen?" Sora asked tentatively, awkward.

I ignored him, walking past and jumping onto the tiled floor of my own free will. I twisted around to glower up at the others —or rather, Donald— pointedly.

"After you!" I called up, dryly.

This time, it was Donald who seemed unwilling. Sora and Goofy lept down ahead of him, and with a pointed arch of my eyebrows Donald was finally moving to do the same. Once he'd joined us we started to move, and all but immediately the Heartless appeared.

There were the Heartless we'd already seen —Shadows and Soldiers, Jiminy told us— and, among them, were small floating red ones. They had emblems on their chests, and they flung fire out from the swirled tips of their caps.

It didn't take long to defeat them, but by the time we got through the last wave my shoulders ached.

We let our weapons disappear and headed for the door. The doorknob, however, was already fast asleep.

I huffed, stomping a foot against the floor in annoyance. Without waiting I started to storm up to it, already planning what words to use, only for hands to pull me back by the arms and another to cover my mouth.

I glared at them all, yanking myself away and batting their arms away the moment they let me go.

" _What?_ " I hissed quietly, scowling. I threw an arm out toward the doorknob. "How else are we supposed to wake it up?!"

"Maybe..." Sora leaned past me, peering at something intently. "Maybe we don't have to. Look!"

He pointed, nearly thwacking me in the face with his arm. Begrudgingly I followed with my gaze, quickly spotting the opening in the wall behind the bed frame.

"How're we supposed to move it?" Goofy wondered.

"We're gonna have to get bigger again," Donald said.

"I'm not," I blurted it out before I could stop myself, eyeing the others with narrowed eyes. I crossed my arms. One trip down the table was enough for me. "Someone else do it!"

"Geez, Kaen," Sora rubbed the back of his head. His eyes were playful. "You sure are bossy."

"Shut up, Sora!" I shot back, huffing. Quickly, I felt my mood plummet. Normally, if Kairi were here...

I looked away.

With a heavy silence Sora headed back the way we'd came, jumping back onto the chair and the table after it. I heard the patter of his footsteps rush across the table, and I could only assume he drank from the other bottle; soon, he was growing to a massive size. More accurately, his normal size.

Squawking, Donald headed out of Sora's way and pressed against the wall. Goofy pulled me along after the two of them, and stubbornly I yanked my arm out of his grasp. I followed after them myself, my steps heavy.

Meanwhile, Sora headed over to the bed with earth-shaking steps. Fortunately he didn't speak, instead stooping down next to the bed and examining the doorway behind it. After a moment he stood, bracing his hands against the side of the bed and—

The bed crumpled as he went to move it. With a cloud of smoke it folded, pressing into the wall and leaving a sticker-like image of the side of the bed behind. I jumped, leaning forward to stare at the scene properly.

"Gosh..."

I walked along the wall carefully, Sora going the other way. When I reached the opening I peered inside, a hedged lawn sprawling out in front of me. There were a few soft thuds and I looked back, spying a now-small Sora making his way over after the others.

I motioned over my shoulder for them to follow, ducking into the garden-like area.


End file.
